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Dragon XC Boys and Girls teams celebrate their Nike South Regional podium finishes and advancing to the 2024 Nike Nationals.
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Dragon Girls XC team celebrates their Nike South Regional second place finish which has them and advancing to the 2024 Nike Nationals.
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Dragon Boys XC team celebrates their Nike South Regional first place finish which has them and advancing to the 2024 Nike Nationals.
Even though the UIL season is over, the Southlake Carroll boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams remain active. The boys finished in first place while the girls placed second at Nike’s NXR South Regional Championships at Bear Branch Park in The Woodlands, Texas. With the finishes over the weekend, both teams have advanced to the prestigious Nike NXN Cross National Championship to be held in Portland, Oregon on Dec. 7.
With an overall score of 58, the boys’ team outpaced Bridgeland (74) and Austin Vandergrift (94) for the South Regional title. The Dragons were paced by junior Cade Leonard, whose time of 15:02 placed him first overall ahead of Bridgeland’s Ben Montgomery (2nd,15:10). Carroll seniors Blake Bullard (5th, 15:24), Griffin Cords (9th, 15:38) and Alex Severson (20th, 16:03) showcased the team’s seasoned leadership and elite ability. Sophomore Jaxon Glenn (23rd, 16:08), freshman Kai Gutierrez (26th, 16:10) and senior Michael Fuller (42nd, 16:25) rounded out an impressive day for the team which is currently ranked fifth in the nation.
“We are incredibly proud of the way our runners performed at Nike Regionals,” says Carroll cross-country Head Coach Justin Leonard. “The boys executed a fantastic race, securing the victory with great determination. With last year’s third-place finish still fresh in their minds, they are now focused on continuing that momentum at NXN."
With a team score of 107, the Dragon girls' placed second behind state champion Flower Mound (44) and edged out third-place Bridgeland (108) by just one point.
Led by seniors Elizabeth Smits (12th, 18:39) and Sarayu Veluri (17th, 18:50) the team showed its mettle overcoming a tough field to make their way to the podium. Sophomores Grace McIlvain (19th, 18:57), Abigail Perez (22nd, 19:06) and Quinn Salstrand (37th, 19:29), senior Gabriella Tesoriero (64th, 19:58) and junior Luna Gutierrez (71st, 20:10) rounded out a gritty finish for the Dragons.
“The girls, after finishing sixth at state, ran one of the toughest, most resilient races I’ve ever witnessed. They were driven to redeem themselves, and they did just that by earning their spot at the national meet,” says Coach Leonard.
The history of Nike Nationals dates back to the event's founding in 2004. Since then, no school has sent more qualifying teams than Southlake. During Coach Leonard’s tenure, the Dragons have advanced to Nike Nationals an unprecedented 32 times. The race, held annually at Glendoveer Golf Course, pits the nation’s top two qualifying boys’ and girls’ teams from each of the eight regions around the country, plus six at-large bid teams. In total, the field consists of approximately 400 runners out of over 450,000 high school runners in the United States.
“Nike Nationals has been around for 19 years, and we are proud to say that our boys' and girls' teams have each qualified 16 times,” says Coach Leonard. “Our program holds the record for the most combined Nike Nationals qualifications of any high school in the U.S., a testament to the strength, dedication and hard work of these athletes.”