Aledo teams compete at state

For a second consecutive season the Aledo Ladycats and Bearcats completed at the Class 5A State Cross Country Meet at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock on Saturday, Nov. 2.

The Ladycats placed third as a team, scoring 145 points. Comal Smithson Valley won the state championship with 54 points, followed by defending state champion Lucas Lovejoy with 97.

The race was expected to be a showdown between Lovejoy and 2023 runner-up Aledo, but Smithson Valley pulled off the surprise.

"We knew they were good. I figured they'd be top three," Aledo coach Mike Pinkerton said. "We ran against them earlier this year and they beat us, so I knew they were good."

The Bearcats placed 12th with 259 points. Lovejoy won the boys championship with 77 points and Boerne was second with 137.

The Ladycats were led by junior Molly Garrison. She placed sixth individually with a time of 18 minutes, 16.6 seconds over the 5K course, earning all-state honors.

Sophomore Tyler Connally paced the Bearcats, placing 14th individually, clocking a 16:01.1.

"They did a great job. I am so proud of them," Pinkerton said of his team. "We actually had one girl who ran half the race with one shoe on. That's the kind of dedication these kids have."

Three Ladycats finished in the top 15, with sophomore Micah Neal placing 12th in 18:42.7 and junior Mykel Murry taking 15th in 18:54.5. Also, junior Sofia Brandenburg was 87th, 20:15.9; junior Madison Larson, 99th, 20:38.1; and sophomore Mayden Mitchell, 107th, 20:44.0.

For Garrison and Brandenburg, it was their third time to compete at state.

The only two seniors running for Aledo were both on the Bearcats. Jack Fink, in his fourth straight appearance at state, placed 27th with a time of 16:13.4. Also, Luke Schabel was 128th in 17:35.1, competing at state for a third time.

"We wouldn't have gotten to state without them," Pinkerton said of the seniors. "They have meant so much to this program."

Also for the Bearcats, junior Ian Robbins, 115th, 17:21.1; junior Dominick Barrera, 118th, 17:23.8; junior Landon Eaton, 120th, 17:25.8; and freshman Thatcher Pettit, 141st, 18:003.

"These kids are absolutely fantastic. They work so hard," Pinkerton said. "They deserve every accolade they get. And again, I am so proud of them."

Last season was the first for Aledo to get both the girls and boys complete teams to state. With the talent returning, the chance for a third straight year seems plausible in 2025.

"That's the plan," Pinkerton said with a smile. "And to keep doing it for years."