Lady Lions take on the boys at Gonzales

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                       

      The Lockhart Lady Lions cross-country team took on an extra challenge Saturday at the Gonzales Invitational, choosing to run the 3.1-mile varsity boys course instead of the traditional two-mile varsity girls race. Lockhart was the only girls team to make the move, giving the Lady Lions another chance to build endurance and push themselves against a strong field.

   Senior Addison Harrod led Lockhart with a time of 21 minutes, 14 seconds, which would have placed her 82nd among the 110 varsity boys finishers. Senior Dayana Delgado followed in 22:35, while junior Alicia Sanchez posted a season-best 23:39. Junior Aliya Parra finished in 23:41, freshman Danili Cedillo crossed in 24:03, Sofia Rodriguez finished in 24:32, Alicia Rodriguez in 24:49, Melanie Garcia and Sariah Barron both in 24:56, and Pyper Bornemann rounded out the varsity group in 26:13. “We have raced against the boys the last few years,” Lady Lions Head Coach Reuben Ortiz said. “Overall, the ladies enjoy it and it gives them a little extra push while continuing on our endurance training.”

   The Lady Lions also had a strong showing in the junior varsity girls race, finishing second as a team. Sophomore Maci Lockhart led the group with an 11th-place finish in 16:50 over the two-mile course. Katherine Silva Garcia placed 15th in 17:41, while freshman Aurora Casillas finished 16th in 17:51 in her first race of the season. Soleli Ledesma returned from injury and finished in 18:57, followed by Zoie Ledesma in 19:13 and Kendra Mendoza in 19:19. “We were missing some girls today, but the six we had out there really fought,” Ortiz said. “We placed second as a team in the JV Division, so that was exciting to hear when the results came out.”

   The Lady Lions will travel to Oklahoma State University next week for the Cowboy Jamboree, where they will compete on a course that has previously hosted the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.