Lockhart Sophomore Ethan Herrera Sit And Kicked For A District Title

ROUND ROCK – Sitting and kicking is a rite of passage in high school cross country.

All runners, at every level, employ the tactic. But it’s especially true in high school running, where guts and glory go hand-in-hand.

On Thursday, Lockhart High School sophomore Ethan Herrera did exactly that, holding off multiple surges by Leander’s Blake Stowers – the pre-race favorite – before he made his final move with less than a mile to go, claiming the District 5A-25 title at Old Settlers Park in a new personal record of 15:41.20 over 5,000 meters.

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It was unexpected, mostly because Herrera, a solid runner with a top time of 16:42 entering Thursday’s action, clipped a full 61 seconds off his career best effort.

“I heard one of his teammates told him to start picking it up (of Stowers), so I just went with him,” Herrera said afterward. “Once I saw him go back a little bit, I took off and made that gap.”

Related: This Austin Area Boys Cross Country Team Was Nearly Perfect At Its District Championship

You can call it ‘Winning Time,’ because Herrera certainly had a different gear when it counted. And that mattered, too, since it booked the sophomore a ticket to the Region 4 Championships on Oct. 21 in Corpus Christi.

Perhaps ironic is that Stowers, too, planned a sit and kick.

“My plan was just to run and wait for everyone to die out,” he said. “But then the Lockhart kid (Herrera) kind of ruined it when he didn’t die out.”

Stowers followed five seconds later in 15:46.90, while Malik Dekli of Leander was third, headlining the Lions’ district win with 52 points. Liberty Hill and Cedar Park followed, booking their tickets to regionals as well.

“Last year we had the fortune of being able to win a district championship on both sides,” Leander coach Aubrey Lindberg-Buchhorn said. “So we knew going into today that we were kind of carrying that legacy on our shoulders a little bit.”

On the girls side, the case was made early and then shut late.

Leander senior Ciara Catton, who had finished fourth in this race last year, mostly operated up front, though she was joined by Leander Rouse’s Jadelynne ‘JJ’ Arellano for the majority of the 5,000 meters.

It wasn’t until the final turn – a quick 100 meter slight uphill to the finish – when Catton pulled away, winning in 18:32.20. Arellano was second in 18:34.20.

Catton was one of three Leander runners in the top 10 and spearheaded the team’s win with 52 points. Liberty Hill was second with 63 points and Leander Rouse followed with 81.

“This year has been so different,” Catton said, “because I’ve had so much support and love. I’ve always had that, but it’s been so much fun being a senior.”

Things are expected to get even better for Leander at regionals, Lindberg-Buchhorn said, because the team is set to reinsert Ava Tannehill, projected to be the team’s first or second performer, into the lineup.

An injury has thus far limited Tannehill over the fall.

“The goal for us is to get top four,” Lindberg-Bucchorn said.

Individual Girls Top 5:

1. Ciara Catton, Leander, 18:32.20

2. Jadelynne Arellano, Leander Rouse, 18:34.20

3. Emma Belliveau, Leander Glenn, 19:03.70

4. Peyton Garrison, Leander Glenn, 19:08.90

5. Sadie Guzman, Leander, 19:17.00

Girls Team Top 3:

1. Leander, 52

2. Liberty Hill, 63

3. Leander Rouse, 81

Individual Boys Top 5:

1. Ethan Herrera, Lockhart, 15:41.40

2. Blake Stowers, Leander Rouse, 15:46.90

3. Malik Dekli, Leander, 16:00.30

4. Nicholas Hogge, Liberty Hill, 16:03.70

5. Benjamin Grover, Leander Glenn, 16:10.90

Boys Team Top 3:

1. Leander, 52

2. Liberty Hill, 72

3. Cedar Park, 81