The Pilot Point Bearcats and Lady Cats were the last teams to complete their district championship, and they saved the best for last, with both teams recording top performances at the 2026 3A Division I Region I District 8 Cross Country Meet hosted by Boyd High School on Oct. 15.
The Lady Cats finished first overall out of seven teams, while the Bearcats finished second overall out of five teams.
“We’re in the toughest 3A cross country district in the state, so we knew there were really good teams on both sides and that there would be some really good teams sitting at home, so our first thought was to make sure we went out and competed well, and I’m really proud of how the kids competed at the meet,” said Jeff Price, Pilot Point head cross country coach.
Sophia Garcia was the Lady Cats' top performer, placing third in the varsity girls 3200-meter run with a time of 11:32.06.
“I had a really good morning; the weather was nice and my legs felt good, so it was a really good day to race for me,” she said.
Madison Coronado and Gracie McCracken were the next Lady Cats to cross the finish line, with Coronado finishing fifth and Mc-Cracken placing eighth.
The teams competed on the course at Boyd earlier in the season, and McCracken said the prior experience paid off for them.
“We always run there before district, and I feel like knowing the course and what it's going to be like beforehand helps,” she said. “We also run against a lot of the same schools that are in our district, which helps us get more familiar with them.”
Emmalyn Brocato (16th), Emily Castillo (19th) and Ellasyn Chaney (24th) rounded out the Lady Cats runners and helped lift the Lady Cats past Whitesboro, who placed second at the event.
Blake Warren was the Bearcats’ top performer, finishing fifth in the boys 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:42.78, followed by Humberto Garcia, who placed sixth with a time of 16:49.39.
Humberto credited the team’s success to a meeting they had with Price after a poor performance at the 2026 Lubbock ISD Cross Country Invitational on Oct. 3.
“That horrible loss in Lubbock really motivated the whole team,” he said. “Personally, I was extra motivated after being cooked by Coach Price for what felt like 30 minutes, but I think it really helped all of us."
Anthony Jaime (11th), Colby Lubich (14th), Parker Neal (17th), Jesus Martinez (19th) and Giovanny Rodriguez (29th) closed out the Bearcats runners, and Jaime echoed Humberto’s sentiments, crediting their coach and their trust as a team.
“The biggest things have been learning to trust our coach, do what he tells us, and believe in ourselves, and that belief helped us a lot," he said. “We believed that we would make it out [of district] and look at us now.”
Warren said he was impressed and proud of the underclassmen, Jaime, Lubich, Neal and Martinez, who helped the Bearcats earn second place.
“Obviously, our seniors did a lot in years past, but I think it's cool to see that we have a great group of freshmen, with two of them in our Top 5, and it makes me want to give them advice and do whatever I can to help them get better, which helps the whole team,” he said.
Warren added that the teams plan to be prepared for their return to Lubbock, this time for the regional meet Tuesday.
“That course is known for its hills, so we’re going to focus on getting stronger through those hills at the beginning of that race,” he said.
Pilot Point’s junior varsity teams also competed at the event, with the Lady Cats finishing first overall and the Bearcats placing third overall.
Pilot Point’s varsity teams will compete at the UIL Region I Cross Country Championships on Tuesday at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock.
