Marble Falls boys cross country preparing to defend district title

CAPTION: Marble Falls runners Tyler Hamblin (left), Nick Dahl, Connor Waklin and J.J. Walker are beginning their day with a running session at the high school. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The pursuit of winning only the second district title in program history started for the Marble Falls High School boys cross country team a few weeks before the 2022-23 school year ended.

Head coach Chris Schrader organized running sessions beginning May 15.

“We have to make that into a normal (occurrence),” he said.

The Mustangs’ top two runners, Nick Dahl and Tyler Hamblin, are front and center for the sessions. The two all-District 24-4A runners, who were instrumental in leading the program to the district crown last fall, say they are hungrier for greater success in 2023.

“The expectation is to win it again,” said Dahl, who’ll enter his senior year. “We feel like we can do it even better than last year and do better than last year.”

The two run side by side and bring their best every practice, they said, because they believe it’s a benefit to themselves and the team.

“We tied for cross country and beat each other,” Hamblin said. “I don’t want to get beat again.”

“Tyler is trying as hard as he can,” Dahl said. “My sophomore year, I was running with seniors and I hit fast times. Having someone in front of you, you want to catch up with them.”

Hamblin noted Hunter Holder, who also is an all-district runner, wasn’t at the session June 26 because he is on vacation. Still, Holder has been in contact with his teammates and coach, telling them he has been working out on his own.

“He’s grown about three inches,” Schrader said. “That’ll play a role in how fast he can run. His mom thanked me for the work. I told her I haven’t done anything. She said, ‘You believe in him, that’s important.’ When you get kids like that, you don’t mind building them up.”

“We think most of the team can run right there with us,” Dahl said.

That will be important, Schrader said, because team championships are typically decided by the fourth and fifth runners, not the top three.

That’s how the Mustangs won in 2022. Burnet and Marble Falls took the top six spots in the district championship race. But the Mustangs’ fourth and fifth runners beat the Bulldogs to the finish line, which gave Marble Falls the championship. That propelled them to finishing 10th at the Class 4A state meet as a team.

“(Dahl, Hamblin and Holder) understand it’s going to take work the rest of the summer,” Schrader said. “They send the message they’re committed, I’m willing to work. My worst runner is as important as my best. Coming to workouts and showing up is the difference between winning.”

Dahl noted the task isn’t easy because the state of Texas has talented athletes willing to sacrifice, too.

“Everybody out there, especially those going to regionals and state, are willing to train,” he said. “At that point, it’s mental. Do you want it? And how bad?”

Joining the two for late June running sessions are freshman Connor Waklin and seventh-grader J.J. Walker.

Waklin began running days after the school year ended since he was finishing his eighth-grade year. He said he enjoys the sport for a couple of reasons.

“I like that it’s a competition against others,” he said. “But you also try to make yourself better each time you run.”

Walker said he met Schrader at a local sporting goods store when he was buying shoes.

“He immediately wanted me to come run with them,” the youngster said. “I like pushing myself and getting better, I like running long distances and the outdoors.”

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