Cross country season crossed the finish line on Saturday, with multiple local high schools—Collinsville, Pilot Point, Aubrey and Tioga—competing at the 2025 UIL Cross Country State Championships in Round Rock.
The Collinsville Pirates—seniors Isaiah Smith and Austin Caldwell; junior Fernando Perez; sophomore Jose Ramirez; and freshmen Noah Smith, Issac Dewey and Tanner Frick—were the area’s top team, winning silver as a team in the 2A Boys 5000-meter run with a total of 115 points.
“The boys did a great job competing, especially with it only being their second year [running] at State,” Collinsville head cross country coach Clint Davidson said. “I know they weren’t satisfi ed with the outcome, but that gives them more motivation to come back even stronger next year. Our top three runners were consistent all year, but at state our 4-7 did a great job stepping up, and that’s what helped us secure the silver medal.”
Isaiah was the Pirates' top runner, finishing 15th out of 152 competitors in the 5000-meter run with a time of 17:21.3.
“Our goal was to win state this year, [so] it was a little disappointing getting the silver medal, but overall, it is still a great accomplishment,” he said. “[Competing] against the best runners in the state is always exciting, because it pushes us to be our best. I couldn’t be more proud of this team and what we accomplished this year.”
Isaiah and Perez were also named to the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas 2025 All-State Team.
The Pilot Point Lady Cats team of seniors Ava Smith, Rylee LeMarr, Kaelyn Chaney and Daiyton DeLeon; junior Madison Coronado; sophomore Sophia Garcia; and freshman Emily Castillo finished 8th of 16 teams with a team total of 187 points.
“Anytime a team ends up in Round Rock, it has been a great year,” said Jeff Price, Pilot Point head cross country coach. “I’m proud of the girls’ 8th place finish, Madison finishing in the Top 15 was awesome, and I’m even more proud of the seniors finishing in the Top 10 all four years, which is something only four teams have done.”
Coronado was the team’s top performer, finishing 15th out of 151 runners with a time of 12:08.7.
Ava shared the seniors’ and the team’s appreciation for their head coach.
“We would all like to say a huge thank you to Coach Price,” she said. “He's definitely been at the core of things here for us. We’ve had a lot of coaching changes here over the years, but he's always been constant, and he’s built a consistent program. … We think the world of him.”
The Aubrey Chaparrals were represented at the competition by senior Abby Turner and sophomore Kayden Plaugher.
“I couldn't be more proud of Abby and Kaden,” Aubrey head cross country coach Kristin Giddens said. “Abby has been running with me for 6 years, and she’s battled physical setbacks every season, so it was so incredibly rewarding to see her hard work finally pay off. … Kaden ran for us in middle school but didn’t run cross country his freshman year, so I was excited to have him back with us, and this is exactly why. He’s a runner, and his natural ability and love for running are going to continue to help him have success.”
Turner finished 26th out of 151 runners in the 4A Girls 2-mile run with a new personal record time of 12:00.0, breaking the Aubrey ISD record time of 12:14.38 she set at the district meet Oct. 9.
“It was a strong race for me,” Turner said. “I felt calm but also excited during the meet, and I think that’s what pushed me through the race. Getting to finish my high school cross country career at the highest level makes me feel like all my hard work over the past six years has paid off. I feel that I was able to show how much work and time I have put into what I love.”
Plaugher finished 31st out of 152 competitors in the 4A Boys 5000-meter run with a personal record time of 16:28.8.
“He got out there and competed with the fastest kids in the state as a sophomore, which is super exciting because I know it will motivate him to come back even stronger next season,” Giddens said.
The Tioga Bulldogs cross country team was represented by senior Nick Oranday, who finished 33rd out of 152 competitors in the 2A Boys 5000-meter run with a time of 17:52.
“He did fantastic,” Tioga head cross country coach Halie Martin said. “He ended up placing 33rd out of 152 runners in the 2A division and, quite frankly, did better than I expected him to. He just got up there, ran his hardest and ran his best in his last race.”
Oranday shared his appreciation for the moment.
“I’m proud of myself for reaching this far, and I think I have yet to realize my full potential in this sport,” he said. “I had so many people cheering me on from home and at the meet, so I couldn’t let them down. The whole time I was running, I felt confident in my ability to run my best. Making it to State as a senior is bittersweet, but I really love this sport, and I think it’s a beautiful opportunity to get out, see new places and run to better yourself.”
