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South Region Girls Preseason XC Rankings 2018Published by
Keller Still A Factor In Wide Open South Region By Adam Kopet of DyeStat Girls NXR South Preview New faces could emerge atop the podium at the NXR South regional in November. At this point, it still appears as if Texas will maintain its dominance in the region, but there could be a changing of the guard with new schools rising to the forefront. Last year, Keller TX started out as the preseason favorite and did not disappoint. Despite a slight hiccup with a second-place finish at NXR South, Keller went on to finish fourth at the NXN Championships in Portland. This year's Keller team will have to replace its top two from last season. That will give both Houston Stratford TX and Coppell TX an opening to take over as the top team in the region. It currently appears as if it will be a close battle among these three teams. Keller gets the early nod based on postseason experience. Of the non-Texas teams in the South, Norman OK appears to be the strongest contender. However, only time will tell whether the Oklahomans have what it takes to break up the Texas dominance within the region. 1. Keller TX: After losing its top two runners to graduation, it will likely be senior Isabel Van Camp who leads the team this fall. She has run 17:44 for 5K and ran 10:50 for 3,200 meters on the track. 2. Houston Stratford TX: The Spartans only graduated one runner from last year's varsity squad that finished fifth at the Texas 6A state championships. Grace Custer, a senior, appears poised to lead the team again this year. She ran 10:13 for 3,000 meters in the spring. 3. Coppell TX: The Cowboys only finished seventh at the Texas 6A meet last year, but they return all seven runners from 2017. Senior Madeline Hulcy leads the way for a team that put three girls under 19 minutes for 5K last fall. 4. Randall TX: The Raiders return their scoring five runners intact from a team that finished runner-up in the Texas Class 5A championship meet. They are led by senior Daphne Pate, who ran 18:02 for sixth at the state meet. 5. Lewisville Hebron TX: The Hawks finished a surprise runner-up at last year's Class 6A meet behind the strong running of Aaliya Fazel and Keaton Morrison, who are both back. This team could still challenge for a national berth despite the loss of the Nos. 3-4 runners to graduation. Watchlist More news |
