Cameron Cardwell (left) and Mitchell Germann (right) make their way down the final stretch of the 3A boys cross country meet Saturday, which Liberty Hill placed third. (www.ThunderstruckPhotos.com)
ROUND ROCK – It may not have been the team results they were looking for, but the Liberty Hill cross country teams had a very good showing at the UIL State Championships Saturday at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.
Liberty Hill, like all the other schools, had to contend with winds over 20 mph that kicked up dirt and dust all day long. Not only was the course windy and dusty, the field was also very deep with the best runners in the state of Texas.
On Saturday, the Liberty Hill boys team did something they never had in school history – medal at the state level.
As he had done all season, sophomore Mitchell Germann led the boys’ team finishing in sixth place with a time of 16:52.10. But this time to a bronze medal, a third-place finish, at the UIL State Championships.
At around the quarter-mile mark, Germann and Nikkita Crozier were near the front of the pack as they race headed into the halfway point. Coming down the stretch, three LH runners finished nearly consecutively, giving the Panthers hope of top finish.
The boys were unable to take the title, but they made school history with a gutsy performance on Saturday.
“We are happy about it,” said Germann. “But it’s still disappointing because we were hoping for a win. We ran pretty well today. It was really dusty and windy, but everyone had to run through it so it doesn’t really matter.”
Following Germann was Cameron Cardwell in seventh running a time of 16:52.70 and Crozier with a top-10 result at the No. 9 spot running a 16:54.80 time.
Rounding out the boys, who finished behind Kaufman and Sanger, were Stephen Waller-Delarosa at 17:16.10 and Steven Palmer at 18:29.80.
Liberty Hill cross country Coach Kim Holt was proud and pleased with the boys’ results on a windy and dusty afternoon.
“They are disappointed because they wanted first,” Holt said. “But they made the medal stand and not very many teams get a chance to do that.
“The dust affects the kids that have asthma out here and the wind it does affect the running, but they are all dealing with it. I wish it wasn’t windy and dusty but that’s what we got,” she said.
Germann, who will have two more years to improve, was satisfied with how the season unfolded, saying he was happy with the season.
A hairy situation
Before the regional meet in San Antonio, the Liberty Hill boys’ team decided to show some team solidarity by shaving their heads in a Mohawk-like fashion. Since the school does not allow Mohawks, the shave is very broad, but it proved to be just another example of what a tight-nit group the boys’ team was this season.
It’s debatable whether or not the haircuts proved to be more aerodynamic, but the boys had fun doing it as part of a storied year for the cross country program.
A state champ
On the girls’ side, as expected senior Susie Kemper took the individual gold medal, leading the team to a fourth-place finish in a field that was extremely competitive.
At the quarter-mile point, Kemper was in second place, just behind Lovejoy’s Katie Ruhala. However, down the stretch, Kemper pulled away and finished with a time of 11:42.30.
She was followed by teammates Chelsea Cole who finished 12 at 12:41.20 and Lauren Jackson (13:07.90), Amanda Kelley (13:25.20) and Kourtney Bevers (13:27.30).
“They are a little disappointed; I know they wanted to make the medal stand,” Holt said of the girls. “But fourth out of 12 in the state of Texas is very good and you can’t be too disappointed with that.”
Overall, the Liberty Hill cross country teams had a phenomenal season winning a multitude of meets including the district meet.
This season the boys took first place at the Vista Ridge, Llano, UTSA, Salado, McNeil, Georgetown, Vista Ridge again and the district meet in Salado.
They also took the silver medal at the regional meet in San Antonio and ended the season with a trip to the state championships, capturing third-place out of the top teams in the state.
The girls’ season was just as impressive as the boys as they won meets at Vista Ridge, Llano, Salado, Georgetown, Vista Ridge again. They also won gold at the district meet in Salado and were champs at the regional meet at UTSA. The girls finished a fantastic season placing fourth of 12 teams at the state meet in Round Rock.
Coach Holt was ecstatic about how the season turned out overall.
“This is my fourth year to coach and this is the best season we’ve had,” she said. “The teams did awesome; we had 10 seniors who did whatever we asked them to do. They were determined; we didn’t have to worry about them a whole lot because they were focused on what they wanted to do. It was a great season.”
3A Varsity Boys 5000 Meter Run Team Scores
1 Kaufman
2 German Lopez 16:23.60
8 Edwin Munoz 16:53.60
14 Dylon Lowe 17:12.20
18 Dylan Evans 17:16.80
19 Mauricio Cruz 17:20.50
41 Juan Jacquez 17:50.60*
77 Julian Cortez 19:16.00*
Total Time: 1:25:07
Average: 17:01.34
1-5 Split: 57
2 Sanger
4 Colt Carlton 16:49.60
11 Brandon Bernal 17:03.00
13 Jacob Perry 17:09.30
23 Derek Key 17:31.20
29 Grayson Ceballos 17:37.00
39 Sacha Shannon 17:49.50*
57 Hunter Tipton 18:24.50*
Total Time: 1:26:10
Average: 17:14.02
1-5 Split: 47
3 Liberty Hill
6 Mitchell Germann 16:52.10
7 Cameron Cardwell 16:52.70
9 Nikkita Crozier 16:54.80
16 Stephen Waller-Delarosa
17:16.10
59 Steven Palmer 18:29.80
76 Blake Hare 19:10.90*
81 Brian Cantwell 19:43.90*
Total Time: 1:26:26
Average: 17:17.10
1-5 Split: 1:38
3A Varsity Girls Two Mile Run
1 Susan Kemper (12)
Liberty Hill 11:42.30
2 Katie Ruhala (11)
Lucas Lovejoy 11:52.30
3 Olivia Hinojosa (9)
La Vernia 12:02.70
3A Varsity Girls
Two Mile Run Team Scores
1 Lucas Lovejoy
2 Katie Ruhala 11:52.30
5 Rachel Gleason 12:18.40
6 Lindsey Cox 12:23.60
7 Abby Tedford 12:23.90
18 Jenna Locklear 13:00.20
21 Rebecca Gleason 13:02.30*
77 Alex Monroe 14:13.20*
Total Time: 1:01:58
Average: 12:23.68
1-5 Split: 1:08
2 La Vernia
3 Olivia Hinojosa 12:02.70
4 Madison Trees 12:03.20
9 Bailee Vrana 12:36.80
16 Shaley Trammell 12:55.50
35 Shayler Ring 13:14.80
46 Isabelle Reynosa 13:22.90*
56 Brianna Kruciak 13:27.80*
Total Time: 1:02:53
Average: 12:34.60
1-5 Split: 1:12
3 Decatur
13 Nicole Neighbors 12:47.50
14 Nancy Torres 12:48.40
29 Bianca Morrison 13:10.70
34 Morgan Haney 13:14.00
41 Natalie Neighbors 13:18.20
61 Bobbi Clemmer 13:42.30*
63 Zuleima Palomo 13:49.90*
Total Time: 1:05:19
Average: 13:03.76
1-5 Split: 31
4 Liberty Hill
1 Susan Kemper 11:42.30
12 Chelsea Cole 12:41.20
27 Lauren Jackson 13:07.90
50 Amanda Kelley 13:25.20
54 Kourtney Bevers 13:27.30
64 Kaya Alley 13:49.90*
68 Baylie Bevers 13:57.40*
Total Time: 1:04:24
Average: 12:52.78
1-5 Split: 1:45
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