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Reigning cross country state champion Plains boys win Region I-2A meet

Jeremiah Gonzales is used to tough competition. He sees it every day in practice.

He and his Plains teammates bring out the best in each other, and it leads to success. That continued Tuesday for the reigning state champions.

Gonzales placed second in the Region I-2A meet at Mae Simmons Park to lead the Cowboys to the team title. All five of Plains' scorers finished in the top 16.

"We're very competitive," Gonzales said. "We want it just as bad as anybody else. I think if we just keep working together, pushing each other, we'll get to our goal of winning state again."

Plains' Jeremiah Gonzales competes in the UIL Region I-2A boys cross country meet, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, at Mae Simmons Park.
Plains' Jeremiah Gonzales competes in the UIL Region I-2A boys cross country meet, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, at Mae Simmons Park.

Quanah's Dwight Donjuan edged Gonzales down the home stretch to win the individual championship in 16 minutes, 14.7 seconds. Gonzales was 0.2 seconds behind, followed by Plains' Jhoan Menjivar (17:03.3).

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Sawyer Hamilton (fifth), Christian Sanchez (15th) and Daniel Longoria (16th) rounded out the Cowboys' scorers. Smyer's Micah Zapata and Simael Pizano finished sixth and seventh, respectively, to advance to state.

It was Gonzales' race Tuesday, but he said Plains' top runner can change meet to meet.

"It all (depends) just how we're feeling," Gonzales said. "Sometimes we all come in 1-2-3."

He hopes all of it leads to a second-straight Class 2A championship when the Cowboys compete Nov. 3 at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.

"As soon as we won last year, we knew that we wanted it again, bad," Gonzales said. "That's just what it was. We wanted it, and I think we can go get it."

Farwell's Isabella Jaime competes in the UIL Region I-2A girls cross country meet, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, at Mae Simmons Park.
Farwell's Isabella Jaime competes in the UIL Region I-2A girls cross country meet, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, at Mae Simmons Park.

Isabella Jaime, Farwell girls win Region I-2A meet

Isabella Jaime broke through to win the region title and lead the Farwell girls to the team championship.

Following consecutive runner-up finishes at regionals, Jaime ran a 12:29.4 to earn a victory Tuesday. Alexis Wade (third) and Kadey Urbantke (seventh) also finished in the top 10 for the Lady Blue.

Plains' Kiley Barrera placed second, and New Deal's Madison Nunes finished fourth. Sundown's Kaytlin Clausen (10th) rounded out the area's individual state qualifiers.

Region I-6A cross country meet

Note: Top 10 and local individual state qualifiers listedTop three teams and top 10 individuals not on those teams advance to the UIL state meet. All races 5K except 2-mile girls courses in Class 2A and 4A.

GIRLS

Team standings: 1. Southlake Carroll 54; 2. Flower Mound 82; 3. Trophy Club Byron Nelson 97; 4. El Paso Franklin 143; 5. Plano West 166; 6. Fort Worth Boswell 171; 7. Dallas Highland Park 225; 8. Midland Legacy 234; 9. Northwest Eaton 234; 10. Propser 238. … 17. Frenship 432.

1. Macy Wingard, Denton Braswell, 17 minutes, 15.3 seconds; 2. Samantha Humphries, Flower Mound, 17:28.4; 3. Alexandra Walsh, Southlake Carroll, 17:52.2; 4. Elizabeth Smits, Carroll, 18:13.4; 5. Emily Orr, El Paso Franklin, 18:25.2; 6. M.J. Novelli, Trophy Club Byron Nelson, 18:28.7; 7. Adelynn Rodriguez, El Paso Eastwood, 18:33.6; 8. Clare Boneau, Keller, 18:33.7; 9. Rayla Castillo, Weatherford, 18:34.6; 10. Mia McGlade, Allen, 18:34.6.

BOYS

Team standings: 1. Southlake Carroll 50; 2. McKinney Boyd 86; 3. El Paso Franklin 111; 4. El Paso Eastwood 129; 5. Coppell 153; 6. Trophy Club Byron Nelson 164; 7. Prosper 179; 8. El Paso Coronado 213; 9. Plano West 239; 10. Keller 245. … 18. Frenship 532.

1. Caden Leonard, Southlake Carroll, 15:12.89; 2. Aidan Torres, El Paso Eastwood, 15:16.57; 3. Aleksandr Acuna, Denton Braswell, 15:17.89; 4. Caleb Millard, McKinney Boyd, 15:18.29; 5. Joaquin De La Cruz, Boyd, 15:21.51; 6. Matthias Peterson, Trophy Club Byron Nelson, 15:22.14; 7. Matthew Engle, El Paso Franklin, 15:22.81; 8. Diego Romero, El Paso Americas, 15:26.72; 9. Christopher Miller, Prosper, 15:29.61; 10. Jude Alvarez, Carroll, 15:31.67.

Region I-4A cross country meet

GIRLS

Team standings: 1. Canyon Randall 35; 2. Canyon 114; 3. Sanger 120; 4. Decatur 141; 5. Dumas 149; 6. Andrews 189; 7. Brownwood 240; 8. Krum 262; 9. San Elizario 266; 10. Midland Greenwood 290.

1. Addyson Briston, Canyon, 11:31.9; 2. Brooke French, Canyon Randall, 12:04.2; 3. Nayomi Granados, Randall, 12:04.6; 4. Alexis Martinez, Fabens, 12:26.5; 5. Alexus Vasquez, Sanger, 12:26.9; 6. Aspen Turman, Randall, 12:30.6; 7. Alissandra Jackson, Fort Stockton, 12:36.8; 8. Mia Lujan, Dumas, 12:39.3; 9. Kate Shepherd, Canyon, 12:44.2; 10. Reagan Nicks, Decatur, 12:47.1.

BOYS

Team standings: 1. Canyon 20; 2. San Elizario 63; 3. Dumas 118; 4. Andrews 134; 5. Sanger 205; 6. Gainesville 217; 7. El Paso Austin 270; 8. Big Spring 281; 9. Canyon Randall 290; 10. Mineral Wells 307.

1. Alex Niemiec, Canyon, 15:37.7; 2. Lathan Lewter, Canyon, 15:52.3; 3. Ryan Fernandez, Canyon, 16:10.4; 4. Julian Guerra, San Elizario, 16:18.7; 5. Angel Maese, San Elizario, 16:40.2; 6. Jamison Kirton, Canyon, 16:45.2; 7. Antonio Arreola, San Elizario, 16:58.5; 8. Noah Cooper, Canyon, 17:02.4; 9. Brian Corona, Dumas, 17:03.4; 10. Bryan Hernandez, San Elizario, 17:04.2.

Region I-2A cross country meet

GIRLS

Team standings: 1. Farwell 69; 2. Christoval 86; 3. Panhandle 112; 4. Gruver 151; 5. New Deal 186; 6. Clarendon 212; 7. Sundown 228; 8. Tahoka 276; 9. Wink 277; 10. Wellington 305.

1. Isabella Jaime, Farwell, 12:29.4; 2. Kiley Barrera, Plains, 12:46.5; 3. Alexis Wade, Farwell, 12:48.7; 4. Madison Nunes, New Deal, 12:52.7; 5. Logan Lang, Wink, 13:02.0; 6. Micah McGee, Eldorado, 13:06.5; 7. Kadey Urbantke, Farwell, 13:08.0; 8. Mila Thompson, Stratford, 13:08.6; 9. Presley Polk, Christoval, 13:10.7; 10. Kaytlin Clausen, Sundown, 13:16.5.

BOYS

Team standings: 1. Plains 39; 2. Sunray 132; 3. Big Lake Reagan County 168; 4. Eldorado 170; 5. Sanford-Fritch 178; 6. Christoval 190; 7. Fort Hancock 192; 8. Sundown 212; 9. Booker 222; 10. Quanah 226.

1. Dwight Donjuan, Quanah, 16:14.7; 2. Jeremiah Gonzales, Plains, 16:14.9; 3. Jhoan Menjivar, Plains, 17:03.3; 4. Wetera Schlachter, Boys Ranch, 17:15.6; 5. Sawyer Hamilton, Plains, 17:16.6; 6. Micah Zapata, Smyer, 17:17.8; 7. Simael Pizano, Smyer, 17:17.9; 8. Saul Flores, Big Lake Reagan County, 17:20.6; 9. Ryder Robison, Memphis, 17:21.0; 10. Julian Rodriguez, Reagan County, 17:21.6.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Reigning state champion Plains boys win Region I-2A meet