McNeil Invitational XC Meet

McNeil Invitational XC Meet Austin

The varsity cross country team waits to load the bus before heading to McNeil Invitational in Austin. They were filled with positive energy as they traveled.

Back row: Toby Eaton, 10, Yosef Abdulrazeq, 12, Aaron Bazter, 12, Zachary Hestrin, 11, Elijah Elston, 12, Jabari Mitchell, 12, Kyle Horne, 12

Front row: Ava Crisafulli, 11, Ana Copland, 12, Leilani Fierro, 11, Hope Richardson, 12, Brooklyn Van Zandt, 10, Della Duke, 11, Monica Sanchez, 10, Yareli Mendoza, 10

"We were all so excited to travel together as a team. The trip was so fun," Duke said. The girls also discussed their weekend plans.

Brooklyn Van Zandt, 10, Della Duke, 11, Hope Richardson, 12, Ava Crisafulli, 11, Leilani Fierro, 11, Ana Copland, 12, Yareli Mendoza, 10

Team captains Ana Copland, 12, and Elijah Elston, 12, lead the team spirit. Every picture the captains take together they point to their shoes to represent them as runners. "It is our signature pose as team captains," Elston said

The cross country team met at Target to buy breakfast the day before the meet. The runners stocked up on protein bars, oatmeal, bananas and oranges. This food helped provide fuel for their bodies during the race.

Top to Bottom: Yareli Mendoza, 10 and Hope Richardson, 12

The girls team ran in the varsity 5A race.

Running in the varsity gold bracket, Ava Crisafulli, 11, stretches before her race. Every runner has to stretch to prevent injuries. Crisafulli placed 43rd with a time of 19:08.1. "I was really proud of myself for pushing through the hard race," Crisafulli said.

In preparation for the race, the varsity boys team warm up. Surrounding teams chanted their school name and brought energy to the start line. "During the race, it wasn't difficult but it wasn't easy. It was a great learning experience." Toby Eaton, 10, said. The team ran in the gold bracket placing 19th overall.

Jabari Mitchell, 12, Aaron Batzer, 12, Yosef Abdulrazeq, 12, Kyle Horne, 12, Toby Eaton, 10, Zachary Hestrin, 11, Elijah Elston, 12

Monica Sanchez, 10, ran in the silver bracket. She finished with a time of 19:52.1 and placed 13th. "It was one of my fastest races. I felt really well prepared to race in the silver bracket by myself," Sanchez said.

The rest of the girls ran in the varsity 5A bracket and placed seventh overall. "We all pushed ourselves very hard and got through the challenging course," Yareli Mendoza, 10, said.

Left to Right: Della Duke, 11, Ana Copland, 12, Leilani Fierro, 11, Yareli Mendoza, 10, Brooklyn Van Zandt, 10, Hope Richardson, 12.

Appreciate