Young team continues building structure

As cross country season gets underway, Trinity Christian-Willow Park is hoping to pick up right where it left off last year.

Second-year coach AJ Moore helped guide the program to a district title and a top-10 finish at state individually, and said in his first year as coach in 2022, he tried to establish a system that would lead the program to future success.

“It was a season of building structure,” Moore said. “Last year, our boys won the district meet, and we had three all-district runners. We also took 14 runners to state (seven boys and seven girls).”

The boys placed 13th out of 25 teams at the State TAPPS meet in Waco in 2022, and the girls placed 10th out of 21, with one top ten placer in Gracee Whiteaker, who finished fourth overall. 

Moore said the Eagles distance runners are competing in a few more meets in 2023, and said he implemented a stronger summer season for training. 

But Moore said the experience level is the biggest difference and potentially the biggest question mark for Trinity Christian headed into this season.

“The main difference this year is the age of our boys team,” Moore said. “This year, we have only one senior – Co-captain Wilson Winchester. The rest of the team are freshmen, five of which are returning from junior high. Our varsity girls team is pretty much the same with one senior— Co-captain Gracee Whiteaker - and the rest are lower classmen.”

Trinity Christian has trained almost exclusively at dawn and dusk this summer, with indoor weight training to supplement their practices to avoid the heat, and Moore said there are a couple of objectives for 2023.

“Because of our size, the majority of our varsity boys and girls runners are able to compete at the state meet,” Moore said. “Success is measured individually as well as collectively. Our runners have individual goals and our teams have goals - wanting to finish in the top ten. After two consecutive all-state finishes, a possible senior state champion (Gracee Whiteaker) is a possibility.”

Whiteaker's main competition for a state title will be fellow district runner Emily Smith of Colleyville Covenant, who is the defending state champion.

Trinity Christian-Willow Park will compete in the SCS I Invitational at 7 a.m. on Aug. 26 at Southwest Christian School.