The Midland Legacy boys cross country team won the District 2-6A title by a slim margin, edging out Wolfforth Frenship by two points to take the crown Thursday at UTPB Park.
The Rebels, who last year placed third at district, finished with 48 points while the Tigers finished with 50 points to finish runner-up. The boys run 3 miles.
“It means a big deal because last year we came in and this team placed third,” Legacy head coach Ulises Martinez said. “We had three or four guys that were banged up. We managed to make it to regionals. This year, we regrouped and had some returning runners and some new faces. We worked pretty hard from June and July. Coming in, we knew it was going to be a hard race. We knew we had to do something. They’re ecstatic.”
Permian took third to clinch a spot at regionals as a team with 58 points.
Odessa High took fourth with 97 points while Midland High was fifth with 124 and San Angelo Central took sixth with 148.
Frenship’s Blake Morrison took first as an individual, winning in a time of 15 minutes and 52.3 seconds.
He had little trouble winning the district title as he came across the finish line over 20 seconds ahead of the nearest runner.
“I was just trying to kick earlier than before because I didn’t want to get out-kicked and I did it and it worked out.”
Permian’s Davin Merrill took second in a time of 16:16.6 while Midland High’s Jose Almanza was third with 16:28.1.
It was after the first mile where Morrison was able to take off and separate himself from the pack.
He’s looking ahead to the tough competition that awaits him and his teammates at the Class 6A Region I meet on Oct. 23 at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock.
“It’s going to be tough,” Morrison said. “We’re in the hardest region in the state. It’s going to be tough, but if I run really well, I’ll have a chance.”
Legacy was led by John Abalos who finished fifth with a time of 16:35.7.
His teammate David Ruvalcaba was seventh in a time of 16:48.1.
Evan Munoz was next for Legacy, finishing ninth in 17:00.7.
The Rebels had four runners place right next to each other from 13-16 which ended up making a difference in the final points total.
“Our goal moving forward is to win,” Martinez said. “We’re pretty realistic with our goals. We feel like we have a team that can place top 10 at regionals. That’s what we’re shooting for.”
Odessa High was led by Jordan Flotte who finished fourth in a time of 16:40.5.
Permian’s Dylan Chico was fourth in 16:28.5.
