Cross Country

Tompkins girls win Team Championship; Paetow ready to compete;

Cinco Ranch, Morton Ranch and Katy impressive at first meet

by: Tom Behrens

Before Hurricane Harvey washed everything out, the Tompkins girls posted some good early season times in cross country competition at the Heat Wave Relays, Aug. 19, at Spring Creek Park in Tomball. The girls captured first place in Team Competition and added a fourth and ninth place finish in the girls 2 X 2 Mile Relay.

Senior Alyssa Balandran and freshman Lauren Titus had a combined time of 24:08.37 for fourth place.

Freshmen Hayden Gold and Grace Kohout finished ninth at 25:10.16.

“Our girls ran against some really good girls, especially from Montgomery,” said coach Amy Pitzel.

The Falcons finished first in team standings – 1:15:09 with an average of 25:02:85.

Other District 19-6A Top 20 finishers:

At 15th… Abby McMillon – Molly H, Seven Lakes High School, 25:48:17; 2×2 Relay

17th … Corbin Olson – Marisa Marinchak, Tompkins High School, 25:50:00; 2×2 Relay

Watermelon Relays:

Paetow boys Head Cross Country coach, Kenneth Decuir described the Watermelon relays as a beginning of the season meet, “before you start running the full 5K, to build runners’ stamina. We did well.”

The race took place Friday morning, Aug. 18 at Mary Jo Peckham Park in Katy.

Paetow sophomore runner Akinyemi Mejolagbe’s had the best time for Paetow, 8:54 in the mile-and-a-half run around the Peckham Park Lake.

Cypress Cross Country Relays:

Cinco Ranch, Katy and Morton Ranch girls and boys cross country teams participated in the Cypress Cross Country Relays, Saturday, Aug. 12 at Spring Creek Park in Tomball.

Morton Ranch boys cross country team swept first place in the Four Mile Relay at 1:01:06, averaging 20:22 per mile.

Dereck Adames and Olari Livingston, Jr., finished in third place with a combined time of 19:35.5. Jonah Fay and Lawson Steed finished eighth with a time of 20:16.2. Paul Parra and Josh Turner were 15th with 21:13.6.

In the Girls Four Mile Relay Desiree Barriere and Diane Barriere finished second at 23.27.5.

Desiree – Diane Barriere, Kimberly Chavez – Nathaly Reyes, and Myranda Gallegos – Virginia Quintanilla took fifth place for the Mavericks in the Four Mile Team with a time of 1:18:02.

The duo of Megan Hopper – Reagan Kappel from Cinco Ranch finished with the third best time at 23:35.4 in the Four Mile Relay,

In the Varsity Girls Four Mile Relay Team scores, Cinco Ranch finished fourth out of nine teams at 1:16:38.

For the boys in the Four Mile Relay Assaad ElBanna and Rich Saenz finished second at 19:34.4. Parker Diaz and Ashton Puckett came in 12th at 20:30.4. Mateo Taborda and Norman finished at 21 with 21:43.1, Sam Flusche and Sam Gardner were 22nd with a 21:45.6.

In the Four Mile Relay Team competition, Cinco Ranch boys finished fourth out of 10 schools with a score of 1:01:48.

The rest of the results—Varsity Girls Four Mile Relay….

Witham – Ortiz, Katy, 4th, 23:44.3; Anderson – Smith, Katy, 8th 24:38.3; Chavez – Reyes, Morton Ranch, 17th, 25:46.6; Fierros – McEntyre, Katy, 21st, 25:59.3; and Quintanilla – Gallegos, Morton Ranch, 40th, 28:47.9.

Girls Four Mile Relay Team…

Katy, 2nd place, 1:14:22 and Morton Ranch, 5th, 1:18:02.

Varsity Boys Four Mile Relay….

Vasquez – Colvin, Katy, 1st, 19:33.1; Livingston – Adams, Morton Ranch, 3rd, 19:35.5; Orozco –  Acopa, Katy, 7th, 20:15.1; Fay – Steed, Morton Ranch, 8th, 20:16.2; Parra – Turner, Morton Ranch, 15th, 21:13.6; Thurman – Koch, Katy, 26th, 22:15.2; Hernandez – Herrera, Morton Ranch, 32nd, 22:59.6

Varsity Boys Four Mile Relay Team…

Morton Ranch, 1st, 1:01:06; Katy, 5th, 1:02:04

Tom Behrens