Vandegrift senior Anthony Monte finishes second at state cross country meet

Anthony Monte was feeling under the weather in each of his last two trips to the state cross country meet. 

Saturday, he was feeling fine and running fast. 

The Vandegrift senior set a new personal and school record in his third and final state cross country meet Saturday afternoon at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, finishing second in the state with a time of 14:39.59.

“When I came out here the last two years, even though I’ve probably run this course like 15 times, I still take a lot out of it,” Monte said. “You learn a lot about what you can do to make yourself stronger actually at the race.”

Monte finished 19th last season as a junior and finished well back in the pack his sophomore year. He’ll continue his running career at Columbia University next season. 

Vandegrift head coach Colin Sully said Monte kind of emerged as a freshman and has evolved into a leader while running with all the top guys on the team.

“He’s just a professional,” Sully said. “He’s a really easy athlete to coach. He understands his body really well and knows when to back off and when to press. We know he could podium today.”

Sully said Monte could have as many as four more races before the high school cross country season is over, including qualifying races in The Woodlands and North Carolina over the next six months. 

Monte said it’s been good to have his high school coach and club coach so close as his club coach is the father of Jordan Mathis a senior on the Vipers’ girls’ team. 

“It feels like a family being here,” Monte said. “My entire team is here to support me and the girls. It’s just a bunch of way guys that help hype me up before the race and stuff. I don’t think I could do a lot of it without them.”

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Full area results: 

6A Boys: 

Anthony Monte, Vandegrift, 14:39.59, 2nd overall

Hayden Gray, Round Rock, 15:08.10, 11th overall

Sebastian Martinez, Round Rock, 15:50.90, 71st overall 

Pablo Lomeli Lluis, Westwood, 15:57.45, 82nd overall

6A Girls

Gemma Goddard, Vandegrift, 18:03.46, 10th overall

Deepti Choudhury, Westwood, 18:06.45, 11th overall

Megan Nevlud, Round Rock, 18:14.29, 14th overall

Jordan Mathis, Vandegrift, 18:43.06, 49th overall

Caroline Nolan, Vandegrift, 19:03.27, 75th overall

Margaret McElmurry, Vandegrift, 19:10.11, 82nd overall

Taylor Mathis, Vandegrift, 19:10.60, 83rd overall

Emma Saia, Vandegrift, 19:29.92, 102nd overall

Erin Donohue, Vandegrift, 20:48.00, 138th overall

5A Boys: 

Jack Woods, Cedar Park, 15:30.50, 18th overall

Bennett Woolsey, Cedar Park, 16:11.88, 67th overall

Ethan Weiland, Cedar Park, 16:18.39, 78th overall 

Peyton Chriswisser, Cedar Park, 16:20.96, 79th overall

Nate Maki, Cedar Park, 16:23.48, 86th overall

Owen Daugherty, Cedar Park, 16:25.61, 87th overall

Tiras Pie, Cedar Park, 17:15.04, 131st overall

3A Girls: 

Gracie Hall, Cedar Park, 18:37.84, 28th overall

Samantha Pettey, Cedar Park, 18:44.80, 33rd overall 

Kaitlyn Childress, Cedar Park, 19:16.67, 67th overall

Reese Barucky, Cedar Park, 19:32.26, 86th overall

Macy Singleton, Cedar Park, 19:49.98, 108th overall

Xanthe Sparkman, Cedar Park, 20:09.38, 122nd overall

Juliana Lozano, Cedar Park, 20:34.85 134th overall

3A Girls: 

Courtney Keeney, Lago Vista, 12:43.95, 37th overall

Esther Long, Lago Vista, 12:48.65, 44th overall

Caitlin Keeney, Lago Vista, 13:00.10, 53rd overall

Katelyn Coldicott, Lago Vista, 13:02.65, 59th overall

Julia Bell, Lago Vista, 13:27.04, 94th overall

Sophia Sin, Lago Vista, 13:33.99, 102nd overall

Heather Power, Lago Vista, 13:41.26, 109th overall