Girls Cross-Country kicks off the season at Yoakum Invitational

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                            

The Lockhart Lady Lions opened their 2025 cross-country season on Saturday at the Yoakum Bulldog Invitational, a meet that has become a traditional first stop for the program in recent years. The team showed early promise, highlighted by a first-place finish in the Junior Varsity division and a top-15 medal performance in Varsity competition.

     Running a shortened 1.5-mile course, sophomore Alicia Sanchez led the way for the Lady Lions, finishing 14th overall with a time of 10:45 to earn a top-15 medal. Senior Clarissa Martinez Olvera followed as the team’s No. 2 runner, clocking 11:36 for 39th place. Sophomore Pyper Bornemann rounded out the varsity trio with a 44th-place finish at 11:43.

     Head Coach Reuben Ortiz praised his athletes for their composure in the season opener.

     “I was really pleased with how the ladies handled themselves out there,” Ortiz said. “With this being the first race of the season and a short course, we ran it more like a workout, pace the first three-quarters of a mile, then build up the last three-quarters. We’ve got three varsity returners out right now with various issues, so some of our JV runners will have to step up quickly.”

    In the JV division, the Lady Lions delivered an impressive performance, capturing the team title out of seven competing schools. Junior Melanie Garcia set the tone, placing third overall in 11:30. She was closely followed by a standout sophomore newcomer, Allison Trevino, who claimed sixth in 11:45. Sophomore Aliya Parra added a seventh-place finish in 11:48.

The Lions’ depth showed as Sofia Rodriguez (12:13, 13th) and Katherine Silva Garcia (12:15, 14th) both earned top-15 medals, with junior newcomer Kendra Mendoza (12:23, 16th) pushing hard at the finish.

     The second wave of Lockhart runners packed in strong as well: Zoie Ledesma (21st, 12:44), Sariah Johnson (22nd, 12:47), Briana Chavez Vasquez (24th, 13:05), and Alicia Rodriguez (25th, 13:06) all crossed in close succession. Rounding out the JV squad were Alahni Herrera (14:13, 31st), senior newcomer Yadira Ferretiz-Ollervides (15:36, 33rd), and sophomore Abigayle Stewart (16:51, 35th).

     Coach Ortiz noted the significance of the performance for such a young group.

     “About half the JV team today were newcomers, so we definitely had some nerves early,” Ortiz said. “They shook it off once the race began. They’re so new to cross-country that the whole season will be a learning experience—training, strategy, pacing, and adjusting to longer distances.”

     With momentum from their strong debut, the Lady Lions will travel next to Stockdale to compete in the first-ever Brahma Invitational on Saturday, August 23.