Region II-5A Cross Country: Cove's Graham, Belton's Tindell qualify for state meet Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 8 2009 05:31 AM By Angel Verdejo and Alex Byington
Killeen Daily Herald

Derwin Graham won the District 12-5A boys cross country title a week ago, but taking the district championship may have almost been easier than what the junior accomplished Saturday morning in Arlington.

Running in the ultra-competitive Class 5A Region II meet, the junior from Copperas Cove qualified for the 5A state meet for the first time after he finished eighth at the regional meet at Vandergriff Park in Arlington. He was one of two local finishers to move on to Saturday's state meet, as Belton senior Regan Tindell returned 5A girls' side for the third straight year after placing third.

Graham finished the three-mile course in 15:13.97. Cedar Park's Parker Stinson (14:43.11) won the boys' individual title while Conroe The Woodlands won the team championship after placing three runners in the top 10 and six in the top 13.

"He ran a very good race – a very smart race," Cove coach Sue Wagner said of Graham, the first Cove runner to reach the state meet since Anthony Smith in 2006.

Graham was in 12th place after the first mile, and moved up to 10th within the next half mile. He then moved up to eighth place by the second mile and nearly moved into seventh but finished just behind Craig Nowak of Houston Cypress Woods (15:13.69).

"He almost caught the guy for seventh place," Wagner said. "But just didn't quite have enough room. He had a personal best, and eighth place is good enough to go on to state."

The Cedar Park and Klein Oak boys also advanced to state with The Woodlands, the defending 5A champions. Cedar Park and Klein Oak finished third and fourth last year. In all, six of the top 10 teams in the state come from 5A Region II, Wagner said.

It's the same on the girls' side. The Woodlands won state last year and finished third Saturday, two spots behind region champion The Woodlands College Park, which finished eighth at state a year ago. Houston Cypress Fairbanks placed second.

"The top three teams in our region will probably be the top three teams in the state, and the top three finishers will probably be the top three finishers in the state," said Michelle Womack, the Harker Heights girls cross country coach. "I'd almost put money on that – on the boys side and the girls side. The Houston area is very strong at distance running. It's just the different type of athlete you get in the different area.

"That area is known for its distance runners just like our area is known for its sprints."

Tindell finished third at the state meet last year and fifth in 2007.

"From her sophomore, junior and of course this year, she's been a very solid runner," said Denise Petter, Belton's girls cross country coach.

Tindell will again be chasing a regional rival in The Woodlands' Sarah Andrews, who won the individual championship. Andrews is the defending state champion but finished 18th in 2007.

"They've been competitors ever since they were freshmen," Petter said. "(Beating Andrews) would be something that would be a great end to her season year, as far as cross country."

Ellison, which won the boys district meet last week, finished fifth behind sophomore Silvester Harrison, who finished 19th overall (15:42.96). Brothers Luis (16:03.29) and Hector Hernandez (16:29.66) were 34th and 45th, respectively, while the Eagle twins of Sam and Max Mayo came in at 49th and 75th overall with times of 16:22.84 and 16:50.45.

The Harker Heights boys finished 11th overall and placed two runners (Kyle Thompson and Michael Odeh) in the top 50. The Lady Knights were led by senior Aliese Hyde, who finished 64th (12:42.08) after a third-place finish a week ago at the district meet.