Texans Show Up Big To Dominate South

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Nine Texans are headed to San Diego for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, including Saturday's South region winners, London Culbreath and Cruz Gomez. 

At McAlpine Greensway in Charlotte, Culbreath won the girls race in 17:12 and was one of six Texas girls to qualify for nationals. 

The McKinney North TX junior will be double booked for the two national championship meets for the first time after two previous appearances at NXN. 

"I feel so blessed. I know God's helping me out," Culbreath said. "I'm going to the national races with confidence."

In cold, wet conditions, Culbreath said she went out conservatively with the intent of qualifying first and foremost. 

"It's best to save some energy through the regional meets," Culbreath said. "The front pack was about 13 girls. The thing that was challenging is it was a narrower course. There was not a lot of room to get around (people)."

Culbreath kept her eyes on the lead and kicked the final 800 meters for a three-second margin at the end.

The top 10 in the girls race all finished within 15 seconds of Culbreath. Heidi Nielson and Brynn Brown made it a 1-2-3 Texas sweep. Valarie Lastra from Miami, who ran a course record at the Florida state meet, finished fourth. 

In the boys race, Gomez and Carter Cheeseman made it a 1-2 Texas sweep. Gomez, of PSJA Memorial High, won the regional title in his first try a week after placing 13th at NXR South. 

Cheeseman qualified for his second championship meet. He was fourth last weekend. 

Aledo TX junior Graydon Morris, last year's Foot Locker nationals runner-up, placed eighth to ensure a return trip to San Diego. 

One of the biggest surprises was the third-place finish for Daniel O'Brien of Virginia Episcopal, a small private school in Virginia. O'Brien, a junior, was 60th at Foot Locker South in 2017.

Colin Baker of Academic Magnet SC placed fourth. 

The host state, North Carolina, did not have anyone in the top 30 of either race.