The legacy of the Canyon High School cross country teams elevated into elite status with another historic performance at the UIL state cross country meet at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock on Saturday.
For a second straight year, the Eagles and Lady Eagles made history with a clean sweep of the Class 4A team state championships, and both squads did it with unforgettable performances.
The Eagles have become a dynasty in the cross country circuit, bringing home an unprecedented fourth straight state championship, scoring 48 points, beating second place Big Spring (108) by 60 points.
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“What an amazing day,” said Canyon cross country coach Wes Kirton, who has led the Eagles to all four state titles. “This is a record for us and a huge deal for our program. There is a lot of hard work that has been built, and past guys that started this tradition. That makes the guys running now want to continue that tradition and they’ve done that.”
The Eagles win didn’t come without an epic ending at the finish line, which was as good as any dramatic movie. Coming down to the final 800-meters of the 5K race, Canyon’s Domenic San Miguel and La Feria’s Armando Morales were dead even, and it came down to a sprint. In the closing meters, it was San Miguel stretching across the finish line to edge Morales by one-hundredth of a second to win the UIL Class 4A individual state championship. Miguel would run an official time of 15:08.2 to Morales’ 15:08.3.
Domenic has been telling us that if it comes down to a sprint, he was going to win,” Kirton said. “There was no way he was losing. He and Noah (Cooper) were right there with Morales from La Feria. It was a fantastic ending and Domenic got it won. It was incredible.”
San Miguel is the third straight Eagles runner to win a UIL state title in as many years. Lathan Lewter claimed the state championship last fall, and Alex Niemiec won state in 2023.
On top of San Miguel’s unbelievable win, the Eagles had three runners place in the top 20, which was a big reason for the team title. Noah Cooper also found the medal stand, earning a bronze running a superb time of 15:13.3. Grady Simmons was 13th with a 15:55.6, and James Kirton, the son of head coach, Wes, was 17th overall clocking a 16:08.4.
“It was huge to get three guys in the top 20,” Kirton said. “We have been working hard since the summer and all fall. We saw that all pay off once again and we had everyone do their part. La Feria was very good, Big Spring was great and Perryton had a lot of talent.”
What the Lady Eagles accomplished is equally impressive.
Dominating all season long, Canyon was superior once more when it counted against the competition, tallying 35 points to beat runner-up and Canyon ISD rival Randall (77) by 42 points.
This is the eighth state championship for decorated head coach Ray Baca, who had three state championships at Hereford, and his fifth with the Lady Eagles program.
It’s also Canyon’s fifth state team title in the past nine years.
“This means everything to us,” Baca said. “I can’t express to you how hard this team has worked. It started in the summer and they have been practicing so hard this fall. Barely anyone has missed a workout, and it’s been total team dedication. As for the race, I don’t feel like we needed to change anything. We just went out and ran well and did everything we needed to. I’m just so proud of everyone on this team.”
Prolific runner Addyson Bristow added to a very hefty trophy case. The senior, who arguably is the best to ever wear a Canyon Lady Eagle uniform, ended her high school cross country career in the best way possible, leaving the field behind to win her third straight UIL Class 4A individual state championship with a new 4A meet record time of 10:38.7. That’s five seconds faster than her state record set last year.
“To three-peat at anything is special,” Baca said. “You have to be extremely talented, but you need luck and have to be healthy. Addyson is another level of good. She works so hard and takes care of herself. She always has a plan and is a special one to watch run. It’s awesome to see her end her high school cross country career like this.”
Complimenting Bristow’s effort was teammate Presli Pool. Pool took home a bronze medal getting third overall with a time of 11:15.4. Michaela Sharber had a strong showing coming in 13th (11:44.8), Crickette Morris was 15th (11:48.5), and Ella Martinez was 19th (11:53).
Check out the results
For a look at the full results from the UIL state cross country meet, please visit https://live.runfarusa.com/meets/58145