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VYPE Cross Country Report

Clear Falls upsets Clear Lake in Seabrook

Several of Houston’s top girls’ cross country teams met at the Clear Lake Cross Country Invitational this weekend in Seabrook.  It was no surprise that Kingwood won the Varsity Division 1 race with 34 points.  They are a perennial powerhouse and have been ranked in the top five in state all season.

However it was a surprise for many to see Clear Falls finish ahead of Clear Lake. The Clear Falls team was second with 66 points and Clear Lake was third with 74 points.  Both teams finished ahead of Laporte who was fourth with 122 and Cinco Ranch who was fifth with 129.

Of the two rival teams, Maggy Mulholland of Clear Falls was the first to finish and came in fourth overall in 15 minutes and 20 seconds over the 4,000 meter layout.  The top two runners for Clear Lake came in next with Allison Halloran taking seventh and Sarah Musgrave taking 12^th. Clear Falls followed with three runners in a row, taking 13^th through 15^th with Sarah Godfrey, Cami Carrasco and London Bennett. They were followed by two more Clear Lake harriers in Kate Halloran who finished 16^th and Michelle Musgrave who was 18^th. Allyson Godfrey cinched the win for Clear Falls by finishing 20^th. Lake’s fifth runner Ramya Gomatam was 21^st and only one second behind Godfrey.

Clear Falls had a team average of 15:56 with a 55 second gap between their first and fifth runner.  Clear Lake had an average of 16:01 with only 40 seconds separating their five scoring runners.

While Clear Falls took the win, Clear Lake showed more depth with their sixth and seventh runners

Nikki Abrego and Rebecca Scott finishing in 23^rd and 24^th. Clear Falls took 27^th and 28^th with Jennifer White and Jenna Hefele.  Clear Lake also edged Clear Falls in the Division II race 133 to 168.

Clear Lake girls have been ranked above Clear Falls since the pre season.  In an early season race September 1, Clear Lake bested Clear Falls 93 to 142.  But since then they have been avoiding each other until this weekend.  But District 17 leader Cypress Fairbanks is a team both schools have been facing regularly and provides a good litmus test of where the teams stand.  At the Seven Lakes meet earlier in the season, Clear Lakes was 8^th behind Cypress Fairbanks in a tight 191 to 194 battle.  Clear Lake followed up by winning with a dominating performance against top Austin-area teams at the Pflugerville Invite. 

Clear Falls started off the season a little slow with an eighth place finish at the Cypress Ridge meet.  They were also eighth at the Humble Region 3 Preview behind Cypress Fairbanks.  Most recently at Nike South they placed 10^th in the Elite race and Cypress Fairbanks was ninth but both teams had a good showing against some of the State’s best programs.

Clear Falls and Clear Lake are the top girls’ teams in District 24 and are favored to advance to Region 3 Competition.  That will be decided at the District Meet to be held October 26^th at Walter Hall Park in League City.   The top three teams from the district will advance to the regional competition.

At the Region 3 competition, the Clear Falls and Clear Lake teams should get another chance at District 17 powerhouse Cypress Fairbanks as well as Cypress Woods.  And will likely face top District 19 teams Katy, Seven Lakes and Katy Taylor.  Only three teams from Region 3 will make it to the State Championships in Round Rock November 10^th.