For the first time in over two decades, the Royse City High School Girls Cross Country team has won the district championship.
Royse City High School competes in UIL 6A District 10. This year’s alignment includes Forney, Longview, Mesquite Horn, North Forney, Rockwall, Rockwall Heath, and Tyler Legacy. The team has consistently competed but hasn't secured the top spot in over two decades, until now. This season, they triumphed with a first-place finish in the District Meet at Lindsey Park in Tyler, Texas, marking their first championship since moving to the 6A Conference.
The Bulldogs claimed the historic victory by a single point in a race where the smallest margins determined the outcome. After finishing tied with Rockwall with a total team time of 1:43:06, the tiebreaker came down to each team’s 6th individual runner. Lillian Smith proved to be the difference-maker, finishing just one second ahead of Rockwall’s 6th runner with a time of 21:37 to lock in the championship.
Senior Alie Laeding helped anchor the team’s performance with a 3rd-place overall finish at 19:50.
As Head Coach Zach Snow put it, “It took everyone today.”
Coach Zach Snow shared, “I’m so incredibly proud of how our girls competed in not only winning the first XC district championship in 6A but also the first district title for our girls program in over 20 years. These girls are so close and race for each other. It’s a true family. I also want to recognize our XC coaching staff: Coach Kyle Crumpton, Coach Jenna Petroff, and Coach Kelly Moore. The role each of them play every single day cannot be measured. ”
The district celebrates the Royse City Girls Cross Country team, their coaches, and their historic achievement. 