On October 9, 2024, Jesuit hosted the District 7-6A Championship, welcoming eight schools: Dallas Jesuit, Richardson Lake Highlands, Richardson Pearce, Richardson, Richardson Berkner, Irving, Irving MacArthur, Irving Nimitz. The meet featured 343 athletes, all competing for the district title.
Setting the Stage
Following Dallas Highland Park’s exit from District 7-6A to 5A, the race for the district crown was between Lake Highlands, Pearce, and Jesuit. With every athlete eager to clinch the top spot, the competition was fierce and focused.
At 8:30a.m., the Varsity girls started off the day’s events, setting the tone for the boys’ race, which was scheduled to start at 9:00a.m. With a clear sky and a cool 65-degree breeze, the perfect conditions upped the anticipation.
Jesuit’s Varsity Performance
In cross country, team scores are determined by the first five runners and their combined placement points. Jesuit Dallas earned third place overall with 80 points. Despite a strong effort, the Rangers were unable to close the gap between themselves and the top two teams. The Rangers trailed Lake Highlands’ 41-point tally, while Richardson Pearce dominated with 27 points, just shy of a perfect placement score. Jesuit’s top runner, Brayden Higginbotham ’26, crossed the line in eighth place with an impressive 17:10 finish, averaging a 5:32 mile. He was closely followed by Ethan Speer ’27, who took 11th place in 17:19. Maddux Click ’28 finished in 16th place with a time of 17:44, while Gabriel Leal ’25 came in 23rd with 18:21. Henry King ’27 placed 24th in 18:28, and Jaxon Tanner ’26 rounded out the top five for Jesuit in 25th place, clocking in at 18:53.
Jesuit’s JV Performance
Jesuit’s JV squad secured second place with a total score of 37 points, finishing behind Pearce’s 27. Oscar Gooden ’28 delivered an outstanding performance, securing first place with a time of 17:34, assuming the JV district crown. Alex Shomin ’26 followed in seventh with 18:22, and Ryan Lopez ’27 crossed at the same time, taking eighth place. Kevin Nazareth ’26 came in 10th at 18:39, and Joaquin Lopez ’27 placed 11th with 18:43.
The team’s depth was on full display, with strong performances from Samuel Loh ’25, Sebastian Espinoza ’27, and Sawyer Cole ’28, all finishing in the top 16.
Thoughts from the Team
I caught up with a few members of the cross country team to get their reactions to the District Championship results:
“The experience was exhilarating, competing for the champ we were going up against some tough competitors in the area: Pierce, Lake Highlands, but we held are own and have our regionals race in Lubbock to show for it. What I can say is we are grateful, we worked hard and we’re not giving up for state” – Junior Jaxon Tanner
“I had a really good race, I went out strong and finished well. Overall, the competition was tough but it pushed me to my limits. I cannot wait for the opportunity to compete at an even higher level at the regional meet” – Junior Alex Shomin
What’s Next for Jesuit XC?
By securing third place, Jesuit’s Varsity squad earned a spot at the Regional Championships, where they’ll face tough competition from outstanding teams like Southlake Carroll and McKinney Boyd. Led by Junior Brayden Higginbotham and Sophomore Ethan Speer, the team is poised to compete at the regional meet in Lubbock, Texas on October 21.
Meanwhile, Jesuit’s JV wraps up their stellar season, having claimed multiple first-place trophies. With their cross country season concluded, they’ll shift focus to supporting the Varsity squad and preparing for the upcoming track season.
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more updates as Jesuit Dallas XC heads to regionals!
