Kia Gutierrez Leads Nation's Number 2 Ranked Southlake Carroll Dragons Cross Country Team to Victory at Southlake 2 Mile Invitational,

Lady Dragons Finish a Strong 4^th Place

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

August 29, 2026 

 Southlake, TX – The DyeStat preseason #2 ranked boys cross country team in the nation opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion Saturday morning, as Southlake Carroll High School captured the team championship at the Southlake 2 Mile Invitational at Bob Jones Park. Coming off one of the most successful campaigns in Texas XC history, there consistent hard work and dedication to each other and the program over the summer is paying off immediately. The Dragons scored a mere 26 points and recorded the fastest team performance in program history on the Southlake 2 Mile course. The Lady Dragons battled through a talented field to earn a fourth-place finish. Grace McIlvain started her Senior season with the 6^th fastest mark on this course by any Lady Dragon.

 Head Coach Juston Leonard stated, “I’m extremely proud of how our kids competed today. They put in a tremendous amount of work throughout the summer, and it was exciting to see that hard work begin to pay off in our first race of the season. Our boys came out and competed really well as a group, and our girls battled against a very talented field and showed a lot of toughness. More than anything, I’m proud of the way our kids continue to believe in each other and embrace the expectations of our program. This was a great first step, but we know it’s a long season and there is still a lot of work ahead of us. We’re excited to keep building from here.”

 In the varsity elite boys race, Junior Kai Gutierrez successfully defended his Southlake 2 Mile title by winning the individual championship in 9:17.1. That is two straight golds for Gutierrez leading his teammates to another top of the podium performance. The Dragons, who entered the season ranked No. 2 nationally in the DyeStat preseason rankings, placed five runners in the top ten and delivered the fastest team performance ever recorded by a Carroll squad on the this famous course. The accomplishment was made even more impressive after a massive pileup at the starting line which ensnared several Dragons, forcing them to recover from deep in the field. At approximately the half-mile mark, both Gutierrez and Claudio Auns were running in the 60^th to 70^th place range before launching remarkable comeback efforts. Gutierrez stormed through the field to claim the individual title, while Auns surged all the way to 13th place. Three Carroll runners recorded negative splits over the second half of the race despite the early setback. Despite the adversity, Adhavan Palanivelrajan finished third in 9:26.2, followed by Evan O'Donnell in fourth (9:26.4), Jaxon Glenn in eighth (9:31.9), and Grant Norgart in tenth (9:32.5). The packed audience saw massive personal records from top to bottom for the boys team. Carroll's top five combined for a 47:15 team time, averaged 9:27 per runner, and were separated by only 16 seconds. 

 The performance showcased the depth of Carroll's young talent. Sophomores Cameron Perez (9:40.8), Aadi Ghanchi (9:54.6), and Nolan Nelson (10:06.1) recorded three of the six fastest sophomore times in Southlake Carroll history at Bob Jones Park for the full 2 mile course. In the varsity open division, freshman Gia-Bo To ran the third-fastest freshman time ever recorded by a Dragon while Sophomore Nolan Chitwood, Senior Drew Collett, and Sophomore Cole Swadish all broke the 10:40 mark. Coach Leonard has a tradition of success up and down his rosters yet this depth may outshine any in history.

 In the varsity elite girls race, Senior Grace McIlvain paced the Lady Dragons with an outstanding 11th-place finish in 11:14.5. After her breakout junior track season that established her as one of the nation's top middle-distance runners, McIlvain carried that momentum into cross country and led Carroll against one of the stronger early-season fields in north Texas. Landry Lambert finished 29th (11:41.7), Quinn Salstrand 30th (11:43.3), Kameron Dukes 37th (11:47.8), and Nora Farden 48th (11:55.0). The Lady Dragons finished fourth overall with 137 points and a top-five average of 11:41. The result was particularly impressive considering senior superstar Abigail Perez rested during the season opener. When Perez joins her teammates this group of girls will make some noise in UIL 6A and in the southern region.

 The Dragons return to action next Saturday at the Southlake 5K at Bob Jones Park in Southlake, with racing beginning at 6:45 a.m.: Southlake 5k XC - Meet Info - Cross Country Meet The meet will feature many of the top programs from across the South traveling to the DFW area. Come cheer them on. 

Southlake Carroll Top Finishers (Elite Race)

 Top Boys Finishers

Top Girls Finishers