The Texas UIL 5A State Championship meet was held in Round Rock Friday afternoon. Among 28 FISD athletes competing were Liberty’s juniors Andrew Jauregui and Chance Moore. The athletes ran hard against stiff competition, finishing 61 and 82 respectively. 

Though the placing wasn’t all that was hoped for, the athletes enjoyed their experiences and look forward to next year’s prospects. 

“Going to state was definitely an experience that I’ve always wanted,” Jauregui said. “I really hope we can get the full team to advance next year.”

The athletes both raced to achieve 5k times below 17 minutes, an impressive feat. Despite this, racing against Texas’ finest proved to be a humbling experience.

“Everything was a lot bigger,” Moore said. “It was weird running against all these schools that we would never compete with normally.” 

Ultimately, the athletes’ success is a great indicator of cross country’s starting place next year, as the two will inherit leadership of a competitive group of athletes.

“We’ve got a great group,” Coach Ben Manning said. “This is a combination of everything we’ve done starting back before July.”