If they’re not there yet, the Aledo cross country program is pretty darn close. For a ninth consecutive year the `program is being represented at the Class 5A State Meet at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.
“I think we can probably call it that,” said Aledo Mike Pinkerton with a smile.
This string of success began when Pinkerton took over the program in 2017 after a previous run of success coaching the Ladycats basketball programs. In 2017, 2018, and 2020 they had individual qualifiers, the boys qualified as a team in 2019 and 2021, the girls in 2022, and now the boys and girls for a third straight year together.
The Ladycats come into the state meet ranked fourth in the state in Class 5A and the Bearcats are fifth, according to the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas. The Aledo girls finished second in 2023 behind Lucas Lovejoy (No. 1 this season) and third in 2024 as Comal Smithson Valley (No. 2 this season) took the title.
Highland Park is ranked third among the 5A girls and College Station A&M Consolidated is fifth.
Grapevine is the No. 1 boys team in 5A, followed by McAllen, McKinney North, Weslaco East, and Aledo. Individually, Bearcat junior Tyler Connelly, a regional champion alongside Ladycat senior Molly Garrison, has the seventh fastest time among the boys, clocking a 15:09 at the Marcus Coach T Invitational Aug. 30 in Denton.
Garrison is one of two Ladycats who, along with senior Sofia Brandenburg, has reached state all four of her high school years. Two other seniors, Mykel Murry and Madison Larsen, are competing for a third time.
The lone senior running for the Bearcats was also on the team last season.
“It’s so special, especially doing this with people I’ve known since fourth grade,” Murry said, noting her long-time friendship with Brandenburg and Larsen. “I think not a lot of teams have that. They’re my family.”
Brandenburg echoed those sentiments, saying, “We’ve run together since we were 10. It’s such a tight bond.”
She said the entire team shared something special four years ago when, as young squad, they surprised some folks by qualifying for state at their first regional meet together.
“It’s been great. That first year was a bit of a shock, placing fourth at regionals, and it’s only been getting better ever since,” she said.
Brandenburg has committed to run in college at the U.S. Naval Academy. The other seniors have not announced where they plan to run next, but Pinkerton said he has no doubt that they will run in college if they want to.
“What they’ve done is unbelievable,” he said. “There are going to be some hard shoes to fill, but they’ve certainly set the bar.”
As for the boys, the majority of the team is back, but Pinkerton praised the leadership of Robbins.
“Ian is the kind of guy whose actions speak louder than words. He gets after it every single time and the younger runners see that as an example,” he said.
“All of these seniors, they’re going to do great things, I have no doubt,” Pinkerton continued. “What they decide to do, where they decide to go, their work ethic is going to take them far.”
In the meantime, the reality is setting in that the seniors are running their final race for Aledo cross country this weekend.
“Just being here for this last hurrah, it’s definitely bittersweet,” Larsen said.
“Coach kind of opened our eyes at practice when he told us we have two more practices and then it will be our last time running together as a team,” Brandenburg said. “We won’t have an opportunity to do this again.”
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here