Familiar teams book return trips to NXN

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Runners looking for a reprieve in Texas from treacherous footing and gooey mud didn't get a break at NXN South. Race conditions on Saturday at The Woodlands were similar to those at the UIL Championships in Round Rock two weeks earlier.

Fortunately by now just about everyone is used to it. 

The Woodlands and Southlake Carroll boys cross country teams qualified automatically for NXN for the 10th and ninth times, respectively. 

The Woodlands scored 49 points. Southlake Carroll went 1-4 overall in the race with winner Reed Brown (17:04.11) and Charlie Gardner (17:13.03) and scored 67 points. It was a big gap back to third where Flower Mound finished with 186.

Breaking up the Texas party up front was Devyn Keith of John Curtis Christian LA, who won the Louisiana Class 5A title on Wednesday and then turned around to place second at NXN South three days later.

Ashton Endsley of Abilene, who had a difficult race in the mud at the Texas state meet, finishing 11th in Class 5A, returned to form and won NXN South in 19:27.36. Abby Gray of Alamo Heights was right behind her in 19:28.91. They were both 20 seconds clear of third-place finisher Abby Guidry of Kingwood.

Southlake Carroll's girls earned their 10th trip to NXN by scoring 78 points. Kingwood nabbed the second auto qualifying spot with 86 points. Kingwood will go to Portland for the sixth time. Marcus, which beat Southlake Carroll in the Texas 6A meet, was third with 91 points. Keller was fourth with 98.

Madie Boreman of Rouse was fourth, Anna Elkin from Hebron was fifth and Oklahoma state champion Cheyenne Walden of Charles Page OK was sixth to get the final individual spot.