Dragon XC
The Southlake Carroll boys cross-country team became state champions for the fifth year in a row.
During the state championship Saturday morning at Old Settlers Park, the boys ran straight to the top, defeating Austin Vandegrift by 20 points. Sophomore Caden Leonard became the first Dragon to win the individual state title for the boys with a time of 15:00. Junior Blake Bullard finished fourth in 15:09, while seniors Jude Alvarez (14th, 15:25), Zach Troutman (19th, 15:30) and Ryan Van De Berge (28th, 15:44) followed from behind. Juniors Griffin Cords (41st, 15:53) and Alex Severson (54th, 16:00) rounded out the boys competitors.
On the girls' side, the Lady Dragons finished runner-up to Flower Mound for the second year in a row. Junior Elizabeth Smite finished 10th overall with a time of 17:50, while seniors Alexandra Walsh and Sylvia Schwedler followed behind in 11th and 35th place, respectively, with times of 17:53 and 18:29. Junior Sarayu Veluri and senior Charlotte Martin finished 27th and 48th with times of 18:32 and 18:44, and sophomore Vanessa Vega (55th, 18:52) and senior Julia Gassett (96th, 19:29) rounded out the Lady Dragons.
“Words cannot describe how proud I am of our young men and women,” coach Justin Leonard says. “It takes tremendous year-round dedication to succeed at our sport, and five straight titles for the boys is a testament to just how hard they work every single day.”
Congratulations to our Dragon cross-country state champions!