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All five area schools competed in their district cross country meets over the weekend, with four earning places in regional competition.
Smithville posted the strongest overall showing, advancing both its boys and girls teams after each finished among the top three in district standings. The boys placed second overall, while the girls took third to secure regional berths.
The Smithville boys had three top-10 finishers, led by Will Metcalf in fourth, Maddox Rivera in sixth and Justice Pritchard in 10th. On the girls side, Melany Villalobos paced the Lady Tigers with an eighth-place finish.
Elgin senior Matthew Cato qualifying individually with an eighth-place finish in the boys race to continue his standout season as the Wildcats’ top runner.
Cedar Creek’s Crystal Turner earned a regional bid after finishing fifth in the girls division, marking one of the program’s strongest district performances in recent years.
McDade sophomore Marcos Suaste rounded out the area’s qualifiers with another strong outing, earning his second straight trip to regionals and further cementing his place among the program’s top competitors.
The regional meets will be held Oct. 20-21 at Kate Barr Ross Park in Huntsville. The top four teams and the top 10 individuals not attached to qualifying teams will advance to the state championships Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.
