ROYSE CITY, TX — The Royse City High School Cross Country program completed a historic 2025 season, headlined by the Boys Team winning the 10-6A District Championship, the first cross country district title in program history. The Bulldogs also celebrated the outstanding individual achievement of senior Mattias Valerio, who became the first RCHS cross country athlete to qualify for the State Meet since the move to the UIL 6A classification.
The Boys Team dominated the 10-6A District Championship, securing their inaugural title and punching their ticket to the regional meet. The team went on to finish 10th overall as a team at the highly competitive 6A Region 2 Championship meet.
Leading the charge was Mattias Valerio, who was the individual champion and was named the district’s Most Valuable Runner. Joining Valerio on the First Team All-District roster were Ethan Jackson and Victor Peidra. Earning Second Team All-District honors were Matthew Trujillo, Jameson Thomas, and Manny Ramirez.
Senior Mattias Valerio’s season was capped by a historic run at the state level. Following his district title, he finished 10th overall at the 6A Region 2 Championship meet, securing his spot in the State Championship. Valerio is the first RCHS cross country athlete to advance to the State Meet since the move up to the 6A classification.
At the State Championship on Saturday, November 1st in Round Rock, Valerio ran an impressive 15:49 on the challenging Old Settlers Park course, placing 40th out of 152 elite runners.
Beyond his running accomplishments, Mattias is an exceptional student planning to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering while continuing his running career in college.
The RCHS Girls Cross Country Team also delivered a strong performance, finishing 3rd as a team at the 10-6A District Championship meet. This finish qualified them for the regional meet for the 7th time in the last 8 years. They went on to finish 16th as a team at the 6A Region 2 Championship meet.
The Lady Bulldogs had multiple runners earn all-district recognition:
First Team All-District: Angeline Walter and Alie Laeding
Second Team All-District: Dayvanee Rogers
The program’s success was not limited to the course, as a total of 23 student-athletes earned Academic All-District honors, demonstrating their commitment to excellence both athletically and academically.
Please join us in congratulating Mattias Valerio and the entire RCHS Cross Country program on a truly groundbreaking season!
