Cougar XC Delivers Strong Performance at Nike South Invitational

September 22, 2025 – The Cougar Cross Country team traveled to College Station last weekend to compete in the Nike South XC Invitational, one of the largest and most competitive meets in Texas, featuring over 1,200 athletes. Against elite competition, the Cougars stepped up, posting season-best performances and personal records across the board.

The day began with sisters Emma and Casey Goetz racing in the Girls Elite 5K. Emma ran a season-best 18:25, placing 18th overall in a deep field, while Casey also notched a season-best 20:21 in a strong finish.

In the Boys Elite division, Roe Gaddis and Clayton Bock held their own among the top runners in the state. Roe finished in the top half of the field, and Clayton had a breakthrough performance, running a personal best of 17:59, his first time breaking the 18:00 barrier!

Our Girls Varsity squad followed the elite races and showed tremendous improvement as the day warmed up.

  • Addison Mathews led the Lady Cougars with a 30-second drop from the previous week, clocking 21:40.
  • MJ Hanson followed as the team’s #2 runner, with Aragon Tanner rounding out the top three after dropping nearly 40 seconds from last week.
  • Dual-sport athlete Rebecca Dai finished as Cougar #4, shaving 40 seconds off last week and nearly three minutes from her time on the same course last year.
  • Cora Castle closed out the top five, crossing the line in 24:30, helping the girls secure a top-25 team finish.

The Boys Varsity team wrapped up the day with a strong team effort, steadily moving up throughout the race and earning multiple season bests.

  • Chris Alexander led the way with a fast 17:33 finish.
  • Wyatt Grimes broke the 20-minute barrier once again with a gutsy 19:54.
  • Dylan Small ran just over 20:30, and standout freshman Asher Wickliffe posted a solid 20:38.
  • Clive Johnson rounded out the top five with a strong effort of 21:12.

With the Nike South meet behind them, the Cougars will take this coming weekend off from racing to focus on a key training block as they prepare for championship season in October. Their next competition will be at the Lindale Larry Wilson Invitational on October 2, hosted at the YMCA in Tyler.