FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 24, 2025
Dragon XC Continue Historic Record Breaking Season, Lady Dragons Finish Strong at
Nike Cross Country Regionals
Senior Caden Leonard dominates boys’ individual
title in a course record 14:37
College Station, TX – The Southlake Carroll boys’ won yet another Nike Cross Regional championship qualifying for the NXN meet for a national record 17th time. The NXR meet hosts the top talent from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Not only did this unparalleled team of young men set their mark in school and state history with a dominant win and 1-5 average time of 15:17, they also had two athletes, Senior Caden Leonard and Sophomore Kai Gutierrez break 15 minutes on the famous Dale Watts Cross Country Course at Texas A&M University in College Station. Only seven high school runners in history have broken that barrier. With Carroll XC’s storied running program, having a team that rivals any past varsity set of boys is quite a statement yet this is a team for the ages. On the girls side, several athletes finished their seasons by stepping up to the best in the South. Luna Gutierrez had a top 40 finish (39th) with a blazing 18:34 to close out her wonderful cross country career as a Lady Dragon before she heads off to Emory University.
Head Coach Justin Leonard said, “We are extremely proud of the way all of our Dragons competed today at the Nike South Regional meet. I’m especially proud of our Open Race and Rising Star runners for the resilience they showed. We know they will soon be called upon to fill the voids in the varsity team and continue the tradition. Our boys came together today with a huge performance and clinched their ticket to Nationals for the 17th time! This program continues to rise because of the work, character, and belief of every athlete who puts on the uniform.”
Senior and University of North Carolina commit Caden Leonard won the individual boys’ title for the 2nd year in a row, breaking the course record in an astonishing 14:37. An incredible tactician, he did not take command of the race until the final homestretch with less than 600 meters to go, lowering the course record by 15 seconds. Crossing the finish line in 14:54 was star Sophomore Kai Gutierrez in 6th place. The boys team was strong from top to bottom as Coach Leonard prepared them well for post season top notch competition. The next three scoring runners are shaping up to have targets on their own backs as they are peaking at the perfect time with Junior Jaxon Glenn in 15:33 (37th), Senior Michael Fuller 15:39 (42nd) and Junior Claudio Auns 15:40 (44th) rounding out the top five. Junior Grant Norgart and Junior Evan O’Donnell finished in 15:59 and 16:09 respectively. In the other races, Rising Stars and Open, several runners on both the boy’s and girls side closed out the years displaying the depth of talent and dedication making the future of the program just as strong.
In the girls’ race, Senior Luna Gutierrez set the pace with a team place of 7th among the best in the South. Junior Megan Bergman (41st, 18:36), Junior Grace McIilain (84th, 19:05), Junior Abilgail Perez (113th, 19:23) and Junior Quinn Salstrand (124th, 19:31). The Lady Dragons completed a gritty season and will likely have universities eyeing this talented pool of girls to bring their talents to the next level.
The next meet for the boy’s team will be Nike Cross Country National Championships will be held December 6, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. The team will look to improve upon their 4th place finish last year with Caden Leonard’s valiant 3rd place. To watch the meet or learn more, link here to cheer on the Dragons: NikeCrossNationals.com - Nike Cross Nationals Official Site - NXN