History was made Monday when seven Johnson High cross country athletes became the first Jaguars to punch a ticket to state.
By virtue of a 4th place team finish in the Region IV, 4A meet in Corpus Christi, members of the Johnson High girls cross country team, which only began competing as a group in August, advanced to the UIL championships in Round Rock Nov. 9. Johnson finished with 176 points and was only 16 points behind third place Salado.
Leading the way was Jags freshman Kyra Gaddy who claimed 5th place in the individual standings with a time of 12:11. Not far behind was sophomore Cameron Roberts who finished 17th overall.
Johnson High sophomore Warren Anguiano finished in the top half of the boys Region IV, 4A race by finishing the course with a time of 18:15.45.
Meanwhile, a pair of Hays High cross country atheltes will also be making the trip to Round Rock and the UIL state meet.
That includes Rebel sophomore runner Abby Parra, who will make her second straight state appearance in as many years via a 5th place finish in the Region IV, 6A girls race. Parra ran the 5,000-meter course with a time of 19:16.87. Parra joins Hays High alumna Gabby Bosquez and Esmi Fuentes as the latest Rebel girls cross country runners with multiple state appearances.
Parra led the way for the Hays cross country team which finished ninth overall.
On the boys side, Hays senior Jaden Tumale became the first Rebel boys runner to reach state in nearly six years when he finished 11th the Region IV, 6A boys race with a time of 16:13.65.
Tumale joins Esteban Villalpando as the only Rebel boys cross country runner to punch a ticket to state within the last decade. Villalpando competed at the UIL state meet in 2013 when Hays competed in Class 4A (now 5A).
As a team, the Rebel boys finished in 18th place overall.
Johnson High girls XC at the Regional meet
Kyra Gaddy – 12:11.59
Cameron Roberts – 12:38.13
Jenica McMahon – 12:47.87
Abby Louk – 13:10.20
Andrea Camarillo – 14:16.83
Lucille Lunsford – 14:41.61
Emily Polk – 15:55.29
Hays High girls XC at the Regional meet
Abby Parra – 19:16.87
Adia Vera – 20:14.70
Mariah Solis-Turner – 21:35.90
Yesenia Parra – 22:09.94
Logan Ferris – 22:15.43
Jennifer Mendoza – 23:03.44
Deasiah Batton – 23:03.44
Hays High boys XC at the Regional meet
Jaden Tumale – 16:13.65
Omar Guzman – 17:15.46
Tyler Gabriel – 17:23.96
Isaac Sellers – 18:07.15
Aidan Vocke – 18:13.62
Declan Trevethan – 18:21.75
Kip Appleton – 18:33.25
