Aledo seeking dual state success

When it comes to athletics at Aledo High School, it’s hard to find an accomplishment that hasn’t happened.

However, coach Mike Pinkerton and his cross country program appear to have done just that. When his Ladycats and Bearcats take to the course at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock on Friday, Nov. 3, it is believed to be the first time ever that both the boys and girls have advanced complete teams to the elite event.

“That has been our goal all season – to get both teams to state. The way these kids have been working, I am not surprised,” Pinkerton said. “They have achieved their goals up to this point, and are working hard for a strong finish to the season.”

The Ladycats won the Class 5A Region I Meet at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock while the boys finished fourth to earn their berth. This came on the heels of both teams once again winning district.

Ladycats

The Ladycats’ team victory at regionals was also the first time the girls won a regional championship. They were led by freshman Micah Neal, who ran the 5-kilometer course in a time of 18 minutes, 11 seconds.

“It’s really exciting that we’re all going,” Neal said of the girls and boys competing at state. “We’ve really bonded over the course of the season.”

As for herself, Neal improved by 53 seconds from her district championship time. She said her success in her first varsity season is credited to “a lot of pushing my body to the limit.”

Neal is one of three Ladycats who comes into the state meet ranked in the top 40 runners in the state in Class 5A. She is 29th with her time of 18:02.5 at the Southlake Carroll Invitational, while sophomore Madison Larsen’s time of 17:33.1 in that same meet has her ranked 22nd and sophomore Molly Garrison's clocking of 18:21.8 in the Chile Pepper Festival at the University of Arkansas places her 40th.

"I'm proud of everyone on the team. We worked hard. We deserve it," Neal said.

Also competing at regionals for the Ladycats were sophomores Sofia Brandenburg (21st), Mykel Murry (22nd) and Elizabeth Griffin (39th) and freshman Mayden Mitchell (52nd).

Garrison, Brandenburg and Griffin competed on the Ladycats' team at state in 2022.

Bearcats

The Bearcats are led by juniors Layton Ybarra and Jack Fink, who finished 11th and 12th at the Region I Meet, respectively. Ybarra posted a time of 16:10.4 and Fink was right behind at 16:10.5. 

Fink is making his third consecutive appearance at state. He qualified individually last season and with the entire Bearcats team in 2021.

Fink enters the meet ranked 14th in the state on the strength of his time of 15:18.5 at the Southlake Carroll Invitational.

Also running at regionals for the Bearcats were sophomores Dominick Barrera (30th), Anderson Smith (71st) and Bo Merrill (105th); junior Luke Schabel (43rd) and freshman Tyler Connelly (79th).

Dynasty in the making

Having competitors at state is nothing new for Pinkerton, who has created something of a dynasty in Aledo. This is the seventh consecutive season in which he will have the program represented at state.

The greatest success in program history belongs to Graydon Morris, who won state three straight years from 2017-19. His sister, Gracie Morris, qualified for state in 2017 and 2019. 

Both now run for TCU and Gracie reached the NCAA Championships individually last season.

Isaac Hernandez also qualified for state individually for the Bearcats in 2020.

Team-wise, the Bearcats have now reached state in 2019, 2021 and 2023, while the Ladycats have qualified in 2022 and 2023.

"It is all about the kids," Pinkerton said. "They have instilled an amazing work ethic in themselves, and push each other to get better."

The best team performance was a sixth-place finish by the Bearcats in 2019.

Peaking at the right time

This season the Ladycats won meets at Birdville, the Cowtown Challenge, the Texas A&M Invitational before district and regional. The boys won the Cowtown Challenge, along with district.

Pinkerton believes the plan is once again working as his athletes are running their best when it counts most.

"Absolutely. We have geared our workouts to be at peak performance for the post-district meets," he said. "These kids are ready, and they all have the heart and desire to perform well."

And they are familiar with the course, having run on it at the McNeil Invitational in late September. The Ladycats were fourth and the Bearcats 18th, also competing against the state's best on that day.

As for the course at Old Settlers Park, Neal said "The hills make it really challenging."

Pinkerton noted that while it is, without question, a difficult course, it is not the most difficult on which they've run this season.

"It has its challenges, but nothing that we can’t handle," he said. "The kids know the course."

Weatherford senior
competing

Senior Rayla Castillo is ending her Weatherford career by competing at state for the first time. She qualified by finishing ninth at the Class 6A Region I Meet, also in Lubbock, on Oct. 24.

Castillo posted a career-best time of 18:35.1 at regionals. She finished second in the District 3-6A Meet earlier, her second consecutive year to be district runner-up.