The Waxahachie High School cross country team isn’t wasting any time this season. Led by Head Coach Edward De La Cruz – with assistant coaches John West and Brandelyn Morgan – the team has started the 2025 season on a high note, showcasing impressive standings in their early meets. Both the boys and girls squads have already stacked up big performances competing against the rest of Texas.
Boys ranked among state’s best
The boys ranked fourth in the state for preseason, and so far, they’ve proved themselves. At the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational, they ran away with the team title, averaging 15:29 as a squad. Runner Cooper Grady led with a 5th-place finish, followed closely by Brock Morales (sixth), Lucas Whitt (seventh), and Jonathan Marsh (15th).
To continue they followed that up with a strong showing at the Coach T Invitational, finishing fifth out of 43 teams. Grady (15:37), Whitt (15:43) and Morales (16:04) once again paced the team against some of the state’s top competition.
Girls stepping up
The Lady Indians are making their own headlines. Jenna Moore and Reese Bartos have become two of the best in school history. At the Southlake Invitational, Moore (seventh, with a time of 11:30) and Bartos (10th with a time of 11:35) both broke into Waxahachie’s all-time record book, sitting second and third on the 2-mile.
The girls finished ninth at the Woodhouse Invitational and battled to 24th at the Coach T Invitational. Behind Moore and Bartos, other runners like Addison Torres and Anastyn Sanchez continue to improve their times and the team.
JV’s potential
At Southlake, the JV boys dominated, with Mateo Molina (10:30) and Felipe Cruz (10:54) finishing first and second in the 2-mile. Across meets, JV athletes have been dropping personal records, showing the potential of the program’s future.
Looking forward
With district, regionals and state meets right around the corner, head coach Edward De La Cruz said the team’s early success comes from months of summer training and a strong culture within the program.
“Every week, we see new PRs and stronger races,” De La Cruz said. “A lot of hard work is yet to be done.”
Flashback: Records and achievements
Looking back at last season, the boys’ team had a record-breaking year, setting multiple school records. Graham Scott currently holds the school record with a time of 14:51.2, while Cooper Grady (14:56.4), Lucas Whitt (15:16.5) and Brock Morales (15:36.6) all ranked among the top runners in school history. The boys’ team finished fourth in the Region Il Championship, seventh at the state meet and earned a three-peat as district champions.
While on the girls’ team, Reese Bartos stood out getting District 11-6A Runner of the Year, finishing second all-time at Waxahachie with a time of 17:46.2, while Jenna Moore ranked fifth all-time at 18:29.5. The girls’ team finished 11th at the Region I meet and were district champions.
The bottom line
The season is still young, but Waxahachie has already proven its potential. With state-ranked talent on the boys’ side and record-breaking performances on the girls, the teams are off to a strong start and they’re just getting warmed up.