The team will graduate six varsity runners who have helped establish Austin High as a top team in Central Texas. Kafuki Dogale, Sarah Escobedo, Zach Fielder, Zack Martinez, Hailley Thompson and Cesar Tidrick fostered a team identity in which the runners prided themselves on hard work and teamwork. These seniors led a young team as they increased both their weekly mileage and the intensity of their interval work from previous years, helping to prepare our talented young runners on both the boys and girls teams to step up and continue to progress the team.
The team has set high goals for next season. The boys aim to win next year’s district meet and place in the top 10 at the regional meet while the girls will be working to place in the top three at district and advance to the regional meet.
If you are interested in running with the Austin High Maroons for the 2012 season, please contact Head Coach David Yin at david.yin@austinisd.org.
GO MAROONS!
The Austin High Cross Country team enjoyed unprecedented success this fall. Both the boys and girls teams advanced to the UIL Region II Cross Country Meet in Arlington, Texas after competing successfully at the District Meet. The Austin High Cross Country team has not achieved this level of success in recent memory.
Over the course of the season, the team transformed itself from a middle-of-the-pack team to a top contender at the district level. Seniors Rachel Baptista, Taylor Critendon, Rajeem Garnet, and Matthew Klitch led the hardworking team as it increased its training mileage and raced more confidently and aggressively. Every member of the team achieved success by improving personal record times. The addition of new runners like Brandon Fielder, Macy Lozen and Zach Martinez benefitted the team.
The UIL District meet was an event in which both the boys and girls cross country teams proved they were new top contenders in Central Texas. The boys team placed second with Rajeem Garnett, Jp Yurco, Zach Martinez and Brandon Fielder in the top eleven finishers. The girls team matched the boys success by placing third. Rachel Baptista, who has committed to run for the University of Colorado, won the race and set a course record of 11:01 for the two-mile distance. Taylor Critendon and Erissa Hinshaw finished in the top ten finishers.
The team has set high goals for next season. The boys aim to win the next year’s district meet and advance to the regional meet. The girls will be working to place three runners in the top ten finishers and advance to the regional meet.