As October winds to a close, it still felt like summer as the Coppell ISD Cross Country teams headed to Andy Brown West on Wednesday afternoon to stage the CISD Zone meet. It's always a battle when these rivals meet in any sport, and XC didn't disappoint!

In the first race of the event, the 8th grade girls were off and running with each team looking to take home the championship. The Lady Cougars knew that the East runners would be a challenge and it was a very tight race throughout. Jaehee Lee battled it out and finished as the race champion with a time of 12:47. Joining her in the effort were Finleigh Sanders-Burk in 4th overall, Laurel Storey (5th), Sophia Sarmiento (9th), and Paula Arconada Simonovis in 12th. However, in a shocking twist, the Cougars ended up falling to the Lady Broncos from East to finish 2nd in the Zone... with an eye on redemption at next week's District Championship.

Next up, the 8th grade boys took to the course. And the North boys were looking to break through for their first championship of the season. Much like the ladies' race, this race also was tight all the way around. As he has all season long, Vihaan Sahni led North finishing in 2nd place with a time of 11:20. Adding to North's point total were Vihaan Sharma in 5th, Tomas Morales in 9th, Mateo Jallu in 12th, and Emiliano Noyola Garcia in 13th for a total of 41. However, the East Broncos were once again too much to overcome and North finished in second place as a team.

Now it was time for the 7th grade squads to strut their stuff. And North's 7th grade girls were looking to extend their current win streak at the Zone Meet. Working as a very strong pack, North pushed each other all the way along the course. Led by Kate McGrath in 2nd place overall, the Cougars also saw Angie Nguyen (3rd), Nadia Stanback (4th), Milleena Garcia (5th), and Renatta Sinacori Matera (7th) parade their way across the finish line. And with so many Cougars in the front of the pack, it was no surprise that North blew out the competition finishing at the Zone Champions for 2024! What an accomplishment, but now their focus will shift to winning the District next week.

And finally, the North 7th grade boys were also looking to find first place... and after placing 2nd consistently all season long, would this be the time to break through? As the sunlight was starting to dim, Oscar Martin took control from the start and led wire to wire to secure the individual championship with a time of 12:07. And his effort inspired his teammates who also pushed to see their best results come through; including Mason Hotle in 3rd, Taichi Oyama in 4th, Austin Shelby in 8th, and Graham Burgess in 12th. With a team total of 28 points, the Cougars did break through and earned the right to also be called "Zone Champs!"

Up Next: The District Championship will be held on Wednesday, 10/30 at Andy Brown West park once again. All 7 teams will be represented by their Top 10 runners is what is sure to be a thrilling contest. Memories are sure to be made; and everyone is encouraged to plan now to attend and cheer on these teams as they wrap up the 2024 middle school cross country season.

#GoCougars