Cross country team finishes second in state

The Lockhart Boys” Cross Country team came within 12 points of winning their third State Championship in the last 7 years this past Saturday. Instead Lockhart claimed the State Runner-up trophy for the fourth time in the past 8 seasons.

At the Region IV Regional Championship in San Antonio held on Nov. 6, Lockhart beat Boerne 88 to 67 for the second time this season.

However, the fifth runner for Boerne at the Regional meet ran a much stronger race at the State meet and finished as their second runner and lifted Boerne to the team title.

Boerne High School won the race with just 71 points, while Lockhart finished second with 83 points and Fort Worth Northside claimed the State”s bronze medals with 99 points.

The team battle for fourth, fifth and sixth place was extremely close as El Paso Austin scored 124 points, pre-season leader Friendswood scored 127 points and Region I Regional Champions Hereford scored 128 points.

Lockhart Senior Chris West led the way for the Lions as he won the individual state championship in a record setting time of 15 minutes and 20.75 seconds. West”s time for the 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) was one of the fastest times ever run by a Class 4A runner at the State Meet.

Sophomore Nick Yunkun was the second Lion runner to finish as he came across the finish

line in 13th place with a time of 16:11 while senior Mason Larkin placed third for Lockhart in15th place at 16:14.

Lockhart”s fourth runner, freshman Rory Tunningly came home in 25th place with a time of 16:34 and senior Brian Fernandez completed the Lockhart scoring with a 29th place finish and a time of 16:39.

Also running for the Lions were senior Nick Moctezuma, who placed 40th in 16:50, while junior Justin Platt finished 43rd in 16:52.

The Lions can take a great deal of pride in the season they just finished. The Lions won their 17th consecutive District Championship, their 8th Regional Championship in the past 12 years, qualified for the State Meet for the 13th time in the last 15 years and most impressively won medals at the State Meet for the 7th time in the last 8 years.

Four Lockhart seniors, Chris West, Nick Moctezunia, Brian Fernandez, and Mason Larkin, ran their last race on Saturday. All four runners competed for Lockhart since the 7th grade and will be missed next season.

(Courtesy of Scott Hippensteel)