WAKE UP! Tatum boys, PT boys, Sabine’s Loftis and Gilmer’s Dominguez represent area at state CC meet!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Before we get started on cross country regional results, we need to tell you about Cozy Coffee Station! They’re located in Kilgore at 110 Midtown Plaza, and in Gilmer at 755 Highway 271 North, as a part of Credit Union of Texas at both locations, and quite frankly, their products are the BEST! Check out their menu here: CozyCoffeeStation.com. Also, see them all over social media, like on Facebook (Cozy Coffee Station-Kilgore and Cozy Coffee Station-Gilmer), and Instagram (@cozycoffeestation_kilgore and @cozycoffeestation_gilmer)!

Wow, it’s my very first time to write WAKE UP!, presented by Cozy Coffee Station, and I get to break some great news!

Tatum High School’s boys cross country team, Pine Tree High School’s boys cross country team, Gilmer’s Alondra Dominguez, and Pine Tree’s Sadie Loftis are all going to the University Interscholastic League’s State Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1!

It’s the hidden sport, the sport that doesn’t get the coverage that football does, or even volleyball does – the sport that goes on even during the rain, through the mud (in fact, some athletes welcome it), often without spectators until the finish line.

It’s a sport where there’s just as much work, just as much preparation, just as much mental toughness required as any other, and often at 6 a.m.

Of course, we’re talking about high school cross country, and for anyone who’s ever competed, or had a child to compete in this rigorous sport, you’d better put your big-boy pants on. It is not for the weak at heart.

The ultimate goal, of course, for cross country athletes in Texas is to compete at the University Interscholastic League’s State Cross Country Championships at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock. The staff here at ETBlitz.com, particularly owners Mitch and Jenna Lucas and some of the photographers, have been to several state meets at Round Rock, dating back even before ETBlitz launched, with other media outlets – that’s because East Texas has had strong cross country programs for a long time.

In fact, Clayton Fletcher, the assistant editor at ETB, competed in the state meet himself his senior year at Kilgore High School, the first KHS athlete to reach the state meet in the modern era, back in 2014, then went to college on cross country scholarships.

This year’s state meet is Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, and we’ll talk more about that below. But there’s qualifying to be done, and that happened the last two days for athletes from here in the ETB coverage area, at the Harold Patterson Sports Complex in Arlington. The top four teams and top 10 individuals move on to the UIL state meet.

Here are this year’s state qualifiers and those who ran at regionals from the schools here in the ETBlitz area.

Pine Tree: The Pirates did fantastic, winning fourth place as a team and are headed to OSP for the state meet in UIL Class 4A!

Jaiden Tejada Clark was the top finisher for Pine Tree, finishing up the 5,000-meter course in 16 minutes, 50.43 seconds, good enough for 13^th place overall out of 175 entrants in the boys 4A run at regionals. Sunnyvale, by the way, who is not in the ETB coverage area, had the top two finishers in the boys’ 4A run: Tyrus Cowan won it in the time of 16 minutes, 03.67 seconds, and teammate Dev Kumar was second, in 16 minutes, 08.03 seconds.

A pair of teammates – Adam Venegas and Melvin Rojas – came in 28^th and 30^th, respectively. Venegas finished in 17 minutes, 17.21 seconds and Rojas in 17:21.45, giving PT three finishers in the top 30.

Eric Martinez (17:49.88) was 45^th, Kaeden Carwile was 58^th (18:04.59), Jonathan Camacho, 78^th (18:34.23), Christopher Ramirez, 91^st (18:45.71),

Pine Tree’s girls cross country team finished 10^th as a team at regionals for 4A. The girls run a two-mile course.

Jazyah Jackson (13:06.82) had the Lady Pirates’ best finish, coming in at 29^th overall. Yamille Castillo (13:55.50) was 74^th; Emmeline Peters was 76^th (13:56.21); La’tauyna Lewis was 92^nd (14:10.85); Hydi Collins was 110^th (14:30.29); Marcella Hernandez was 120^th (14:40.52); and Briana Huerta was 125^th (14:47.76).

Kilgore: Airy Grajales was 19^th for Kilgore in the girls 4A regionals at Arlington, not qualifying for state but a top-20 finish. Her time: 12:49.60.

Teammate Arleth Castillo (13:24.01) was 45^th.

The Bulldogs took their boys as a team to Arlington for regionals, but this year, unfortunately, none of the ‘Dogs advanced to Round Rock.

Jordy Sandoval (17:47.47) was the top Kilgore finisher among the 175 runners in the boys 4A regional, and that time was good for place number 41.

Jose Gonzalez (18:09.09) was 62^nd; Jacob Herrera (19:21.57) was 108^th; Ruben Rodriguez (19:45.21) was 119^th; Josiah Martinez (20:05.63) was 133^rd; Adan Requena (20:07.99) was 135^th; and Alexander Perez Villanueva (20:11.42) was 137^th.

Henderson: The Lions also won’t have a runner in Round Rock this year, but Valery Aguilar Joseph Morales represented Henderson ISD at regionals in Arlington, and did so very well.

Morales finished 32^nd among boys in the 4A qualifier, a time of 17:29.33. And Aguilar finished 68^th among girls entrants, a time of 13:45.93.

Gilmer: Like Kilgore, Gilmer normally does very well at cross country, and did once again this year, just not quite well enough to get a team to the state meet.

But Alondra Dominguez is going to state!

Alondra finished eighth overall, in a time of 12:22.44, and will be among the field at Old Settler’s Park on Oct. 31.

Also for Gilmer’s Lady Buckeyes at regionals, Laney Medrano was 35^th (13:14.18); Evelynn Ramirez was 73^rd (13:53.35); Adela Pogue was 82^nd (14:05.49); Marie von Krosigk was 89^th (14:08.68); Charlotte Arrington was 102^nd (14:19.99); and Jade Gattis was 124^th (14:43.26).

Tanner Baxter (17:53.66) had the top time for a Buckeye, and that was 48^th place – remember, the boys run a 5K.

Sypress Edney (17:56.94) was 51^st. Lucas Robins was 69^th (18:22.11). Celson James was 84^th (18:39.56). Aiden Jones was 105^th (19:15.91). Brenden Johnson was 117^th (19:40.40), and Miko Rash was 132^nd (20:03.60).

The Buckeyes girls team finished eighth at regionals in Arlington; the boys finished 12^th.

White Oak: Hey, no state qualifiers for the Roughnecks, but a fantastic seventh-place finish for the boys in the boys 3A run at Arlington in regionals.

Niko Soto had the fastest time for the ‘Necks: 17:54.12, good enough for 24^th place.

Cooper Tucker (18:09.95) and Isaak Olvera (18:14.97) finished 35^th and 36^th, respectively. Nathan Stringer (19:12.99) finished 67^th; Logan Langewisch (19:29.46) 77^th; Luke Bueno (19:40.24) 84^th; and Nathan Watson (20:21.30).

For the Lady’Necks, Sophie Fisher (13:40.01) had the best time, and finished 47^th overall. Maddie Hart finished 72^nd (14:19.45).

Gladewater: The Bears had one runner at regionals: Ya’lexan Martinez, in the boys 3A run, and he finished 51^st overall, a time of 18:46.70.

Sabine: Sadie Loftis placed seventh overall in the girls regional run at Arlington and is headed to state to represent the Lady Cardinals!

Sadie’s time was 12:29.81, and only six people beat it. The top finisher in the girls 3A run was Brooklyn Bewley of Valley View, in 12 minutes, .77 seconds. She was the only Sabine girls runner that competed at regionals.

The Cardinals, now, had their team there, and Collier Keel was in top form. Keel finished 23^rd overall of 171 runners, in a time of 17:53.58.

Shawn Heffner was 75^th (19:28.16); Oscar Aguilar was 94^th (19:51.06); Syler Pierce, 116^th (20:49.73); Kyler Smith, 124^th (21:02.36); Olien Pierce, 131^st (21:11.07); and Yael Acosta, 159^th (22:17.13). The Cardinals were 17^th as a team.

Tatum: The Eagles got the job done at the regional meet in Arlington, finishing fourth at state as a team – heck, Victor Cantellano finished second overall!

Cantellano’s time: 16:10.26, and only one time in the whole freakin’ 3A boys run at Arlington beat it: Winona’s Miguel Cedillo, who ran the course in 15:51.05.

Victor’s brother, Gabriel Cantellano, also running for Tatum, finished 17^th overall in 17:37.39.

Louie Chavez (18:48.24) was 52^nd; Koby Bridges (19.02.59) and Gage Sparks (19:03.67) were 62^nd and 63^rd, respectively; Faustino Sandoval (19:16.41) was 71^st; and Alexis Ventura was 129^th (21:07.78). They’ll all continue their season in Round Rock on Oct. 31.

Troup: The Lady Tigers don’t have anyone headed to Round Rock for state, but they did pretty well at regionals.

For Troup, Kambry Nelson was the top finisher: 32^nd place, in the time of 13:18.35, out of 179 runners in the girls 3A event in Arlington.

Camdyn Kiener (14:49.81) was 95^th; Jenna Murry (14:59.12) was 104^th; Cassie Murry (16:10.05) was 138^th; and Sophie Skinner (18:05.48) was 167^th.

Troup’s boys didn’t have an entrant at regionals.

Arp: Arp High School had one runner at Arlington for regionals: freshman Anna Schminkey, the daughter of football coach and athletic director Wes Schminkey, who improved with each meet. Anna finished in 14:52.18, not bad whatsoever for her first year as a varsity cross country runner.

West Rusk: The Raiders and Lady Raiders’ season wrapped up, and no one is headed to state. Nut Enrique Rios (18:37.10) finished with the top time for the West Rusk boys, and in 49^th place overall in the 3A regional at Arlington.

Sofia Alvarez finished with the best time for the Lady Raiders at regionals: 14:22.77, good for 78^th place in the 3A girls field.

Kristy Grimaldo finished in 15:06.48, and in 108^th place. Kahlen Mason (15:27.90) finished 121^st; Camila Mata (15:36.62), 126^th; Jeraldyn Hernandez (15:37.15), 128^th; Zoey Smires (16:03.25), 136^th; and Katy Ford (16:19.07), 140^th.

Leverett’s Chapel: De’Waylon Brown and Adrian Harrison represented LC in Arlington at regionals, and did well in what would be their final meet of the season.

Brown finished 38^th  overall 21 minutes, .2 seconds), and Harrison 40^th (21 minutes, 02.7 seconds).

State meet: So, the boys team from Tatum and Sabine’s Sadie Loftis will run in the state meet on Friday, Oct. 31 at Old Settler’s Park – Loftis will run at 8:15 a.m., and the boys run is at 8:45. Also scheduled that day: the 5A girls run (9:30 a.m.), the 5A boys run (10:10), the 1A girls run (10:55), and the 1A boys run (11:25).

Gilmer’s Alondra Dominguez and the Pine Tree boys will run on Saturday, Nov. 1. Dominguez will run against the 4A girls field at 8:15 a.m., and the PT boys will go off as part of the 4A boys run at 8:45.

Also on Saturday: the 6A girls (9:30), the 6A boys (10:10), the 2A girls (10:55), and the 2A boys (11:25).

FYI: according to the state department of parks and recreation, Old Settlers Park, located at  3501 Sports Capital Crossing Round Rock, Texas 78665,  is 670 acres, and in addition to hosting the UIL State Cross Country Championships each year, it’s also the home to baseball, softball, soccer and even cricket tournaments in the Austin area. On premises as well: an 18-hole disc golf course open seven days a week; Bright Lake, stocked by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Fish Hatchery program; and over 40 picnic areas with pavilions. It’s also the home of the Round Rock Youth Football Association.

Anyone going to OSP for the state meet will need parking, and be warned: parking is $25 per car for vehicles with two people or less. For vehicles with two people and more: $40. You read that correctly. But there are no tickets to get into the event, so the parking fee doubles as the ticket fee.

Here’s a link to purchase parking for Friday: 2025 UIL State Cross Country Championship parking – Friday, Oct. 31st (3A, 5A, 1A) .

And for Saturday: 2025 UIL State Cross Country Championship parking – Saturday, Nov. 1st (4A, 6A, 2A) .

For anyone who can’t go but would like to try and watch the UIL’s streaming coverage of the event, it’s on the NFHS Network. That’s a subscription service, and the link the UIL provides is here: Subscribe to NFHS Network.

We’ll have a reminder about the UIL State Cross Country Championships next week, and of course, coverage of the event and those ETBlitz-area athletes who are competing.