On Nov. 1, the boys cross country team made history by placing 2nd at the 6A UIL State Championship Meet for the third year in a row. Members of the state team reflect on their performance at the final competition and throughout the season.
“The team was really strong this year,” junior Kai McCullough said. “The strongest it’s been in school history.”
Varsity runner Kai McCullough recalls how this year, the Vipers fought harder than ever to secure their position in second place. In fact, they scored only 4 points behind the first place winners, Southlake Carroll High School.
“When we run, we stick together,” senior Christian Cruz-Castro said. “That’s what makes us stronger – like a family.”
Cruz-Castro credits the Vipers’ second place win to the fact that the cross country team is more of a community than just a team. Their ability to stick together throughout their races allows them to continue to perform well year after year.
“We have a really good team camaraderie,” McCullough said. “We are able to run all our workouts together.”
Building a strong team of runners and friends has allowed for many individual accomplishments for team members. Specifically, sophomore Collin Goodwin, who was sick when the season started, saw steady improvement as the season progressed.
“Because I had limited training going into this season, I just kind of got better and better as the season went along,” Goodwin said.
His persistence and hours spent running finally paid off when he achieved his personal goal and placed 13th at the state championship – an accomplishment that left him feeling stronger than ever and motivated for the future.
“My favorite part of the season was accomplishing the goal I wanted for state, which was at least top 15,” Goodwin said.
McCullough also achieved his goals for this cross country season and described his love for running as something that brings him freedom and clarity. For him, cross country is more than just a race, it’s a way to escape the pressure and stress of day-to-day life.
“When I run, I feel free – like a bird flying in the sky,” McCullough said.“All the stress from the day goes away and I don’t have to think about it while I run.”
Even though the team didn’t win the state title, McCullough still took pride in the team’s podium finish. Winning second place was not an accomplishment that McCullough left unnoticed.
“Even though we didn’t get first, it was still nice to stand on the podium again,” McCullough said.
Setting his goals even higher for next year, McCullough hopes that the team can finally win the state title that they deserve.
“Next year I really want to try and win state,” McCullough said. “This year we were really close to doing it. It’s going to be hard, but we’re going to have to put in a lot of work.”
Cruz-Castro also played a pivotal role in the team’s success at the championship, overcoming personal challenges to help bring the team to second place. Using mental strength he didn’t know he possessed, Cruz-Castro used determination and sheer will power to run fast in the state championship.
“When I got to the line, I was dead tired from a long week, but I just had this feeling that this was the moment,” Cruz-Castro said.
Cruz-Castro also remembered a pivotal moment during the race when the team was initially trailing behind, but surged forward. Using teamwork, the boys were able to push past the rest of the runners and secure their second place win.
“When we first [started the race,] we were in the very back, until Hudson Haley and Kai McCullough pushed the pace and took over,” Cruz-Castro said. “[They] passed everyone else, and we all went up from there.”
As the season came to an end, the cross country team believes that next year they will have an even stronger team. With the newfound leadership of athletes like McCullough and Goodwin, the future of the team looks bright.
“It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m gonna be a big leader on the team next year,” McCullough said. “I think I can help get us to first place next season.”