Lady Lions Cross Country test regional course at Islander Splash
By Anthony Collins
LPR Editor
The Lockhart Lady Lions cross-country team got an early look at what could become an important course later this season, traveling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this past weekend for the Pre-Regional Islander Splash. With a newly designed regional course in place this year, Lockhart entered the Gold Division and lined up against some of the strongest programs in the meet, including a field heavily represented by Class 6A teams. When the racing was finished, the Lady Lions placed 32nd out of 41 teams.
The meet also marked the first 5K race of the season for Lockhart’s varsity runners. Senior Addison Harrod once again led the Lady Lions, finishing 89th out of more than 290 runners with a time of 22:29. Freshman Daneli Cedillo continued to show improvement and worked her way through the field to finish as Lockhart’s No. 2 runner, placing 192nd in 24:19. Junior Alicia Sanchez was close behind in 215th at 24:56. Senior Dayana Delgado crossed the line as Lockhart’s fourth runner, placing 230th with a time of 25:32, while junior Sofia Rodriguez followed in 233rd at 25:43.
Senior Melanie Garcia finished 238th in 25:53, and junior Aliya Parra placed 244th with a time of 26:15. Junior Alicia Rodriguez followed in 247th at 26:23, while freshman Sariah Barron placed 262nd in 28:09. Sophomore Maci Lockhart rounded out the varsity lineup in 268th with a time of 29:05. Despite facing a difficult field and challenging course conditions, Head Girls Coach Reuben Ortiz said there were several encouraging signs in the Lady Lions’ performance.
“We had some big positives out there,” Ortiz said. “Harrod, Cedillo and S. Rodriguez had some big finishes. That tells me they hesitated or got swallowed by the pack early on and had too much in the tank when the race was over.” Ortiz was also encouraged by the way Lockhart’s younger runners responded to the longer distance and level of competition. “I was also really pleased with how our newcomers of Cedillo, Barron and Lockhart accepted the challenge of running their first 5K at the highest level,” Ortiz said. “Each lady knows what adjustments they need to make for the next stop.”
The dry conditions added another challenge to an already fast course, and Ortiz said several teams dealt with injuries during the meet. “Overall, it was a hard, fast course with plenty of opportunity to sadly get injured,” Ortiz said. “Many teams had injuries due to the dry course.” For Lockhart, the trip provided more than another early-season race. It gave the Lady Lions valuable experience on the same course they could see again during regional competition and offered the coaching staff another chance to evaluate where adjustments can be made as the season progresses.
The Lady Lions will return to competition Saturday, Sept. 19, when they travel to nearby Gonzales for the Apache Invitational.
