Marble Falls cross country posts solid times in first meet
CAPTION: The Marble Falls High School boys cross country team includes Connor Yaklin (left), Colton Rutland, Graham Goggans, Owen Martin, Brazos White, Tyler Hamblin and Hunter Holder. Courtesy photo
The Marble Falls High School cross country teams made the most of their first meet of 2024.
Following their results at the Battle For Wilco Park meet Aug. 16, new head coach Brenda Gonzalez wrote a note to her runners.
“A great start to our season,” she wrote. “I’m really proud of the way we came and even more proud of how you support one another. Let’s keep pushing forward together.”
The start is even better when considering the number of underclassmen who are on the team.
“I was very proud of how we started,” Gonzalez said. “They each had their own goals. They did better than they expected. The feedback I got was that it wasn’t as hard as what they thought. I think it was a good start for them.”
The leader of the program is senior Tyler Hamblin, who teamed with freshman Graham Goggans, younger brother of 2021 Marble Falls graduate Bailey Goggans and 2024 graduate Garrett Goggans, to ensure the two had a top 10 finish during the meet. In all, Marble Falls entered four 2-person relays.
“Tyler won that first leg,” Gonzalez said. “They, along with Owen Martin, work very well together at practices.”
Freshman Logan Hargrave, who competed in the junior varsity race, posted a time that was in the top four of Marble Falls runners, she said.
“I’m excited to see what he does,” the coach said. “He ran a heck of a leg.”
Meanwhile the Lady Mustangs finished second in the junior varsity relay led by Reese Massey, who finished in under 13 minutes, and Ines Ruiz.
“She’s a freshman girl who ran a 12:43.7 in her first time to run two miles,” Gonzalez said. “She looked very calm and relaxed. She was leading by a lot. She said, ‘I’d be pushing myself harder, but I was running by myself.'”
Gonzalesz was pleased the runners took to heart what she told them before they ran.
“I basically said, ‘Go out there and give me your best,” she said. “‘How you do it in practice.’ Some had that first race jitters. They were able to get that out of the way.”
Marble Falls will compete in the Chaparral Invitational hosted by Austin Westlake Friday, Aug. 23. The boys will run in their first 5K of the year.
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CAPTION: The Marble Falls High School girls cross country team includes Katelynn Folts (left), Reese Massey, Ines Ruiz, Hadalye Hernandez and Savannah Hamblin. Courtesy photo
