Texan Roundup

Cross country state meet result

Hoping to traverse the Texas UIL championship cross country course at Round Rock’s Old Settler’s Park in a top-ten time last Saturday, Wimberley High School runner Griffen Neal had to settle for 39th place out of 175 racers. Although disappointed for not meeting his goal, the Texan junior will get another shot at his dream next year.

Texan cross country coach Brad Biggers commented after the race, “It’s a real accomplishment for an athlete just to get to the state meet.”

As a comparison of times, Judson Greer from Melissa High School won the course in 15:02 while Neal crossed the finish line in 16:52. In a sport where seconds determine champions and runnersup, one errant kick or slight stumble on a wet course can mean the difference between first or less.

Prior to the state race, Neal was ranked eighth in the state. But a few days before the state meet, he was struck by a recurring allergy condition. “I was pretty sick and missed school coming up to the race,” he explained. “So, I think I wasn’t back at 100% by the day of the race.”

Neal now looks forward to the Spring track season when he runs the 800, the one mile and the two mile races. “I like the two mile best,” he says, “because I expect a pretty good season for me this season.”

Volleyball

The Texans advanced in state volleyball competition with a three-set victory over Taylor in competition played in Cedar Creek. Team leaders included Riley Horn with seven kills, Maddie Maxwell with 15 digs and Jordan McFarland with 15 assists. “We finished them in three set because of great intensity from the girls,” Coach Stephanie Barthels praised her team. “We also got an opportunity to play all of our girls. The scores in this sweep show the success of the entire team.”

The win over Taylor advanced Wimberley to the area competition level where they ran into a Buzzsaw named Fushear who downed the Texans 25-12, 25-19 and 25-16. Played at Schulenburg High School, the loss ended Wimberley’s 2018 volleyball season with a sparkling record of 29-14 as well as the District 28-4A championship.

“Not our best match, but we had heart,” Coach Barthels reported. “We started off strong then had five errors in a row. After those errors, we never got back into the groove.”

Summing up the season, the coach added, “This was a season for the books! Our girls brought the district championship back to Wimberley where it had been many years before. It was an honor to lead these young ladies. I’m already looking forward to the future with the returners.”