Whitharral Cross-Country

The Whitharral Panthers finished with a good crosscountry season last year, but second year Head Coach Madison Ortega plans to do better this year. Her team agrees.

“Our goal is to win district on both sides,” she said, adding that the goal was set by the athletes. “We host the district seven meet so they want to win it at home.”

Both boys and girls teams have been preparing for the season all summer, according to Ortega.

“The team put a lot of miles in throughout the summer and at the beginning of the year, she said.

Last season, both girls and boys finished second in district. Elizabeth Reyna was the top finisher for the girls at fifth place, while Nomar Gomez led the boys with a third place finish.

Both runners are back. That qualified them for the regional meet with Gomez as the lone state qualifier.

“We were close last year but didn’t perform as well as we had hoped at Mae Simmons,” said Ortega Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock was the site of the 2022 regional cross country meet and will be again in 2023.

“The varsity teams are hungry for success and hopeful that they can join Nomar this year and make a run for state.”

In addition to the returning runners, the junior high teams are bringing up some good runners.

Paige Smith finished 2 nd overall and Daniel Rodriguez and Isaiah Acevedo both finished top 10 at district last season In addition to being Head Cross Country Coach, Ortega is Head Girls Athletics Coach. She has three years in education, with two at Whitharral. She served as a cross country and girls basketball assistant under Paul Finley last season.

“I had no experience in the cross country world prior to last year,” she said. “His guidance prepared me for this year.”

Mady McCully is the assistant cross country coach. She is in her first year in education, but played volleyball at Lubbock Christian University for four years.

“She has a large background of sports knowledge,” said Ortega. “I am very excited to have her help me lead the Lady Panthers this year.”