FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2025
Dragon XC Teams Blaze at Regionals Qualifying for State Meet
Senior Caden Leonard claims boys’ individual title
Lubbock, TX – The Southlake Carroll boys’ won and girls’ cross country team place 2nd at Region 1-6A cross country championships in Lubbock Tuesday morning. It is the 8th consecutive regional title for the boys in a shockingly fast 1-5 average of 15:33. Caden Leonard lead the way for the boys with Luna Gutierrez setting the standard for the Lady Dragons The girl’s team qualified for the state meet for the 28th straight year with their 2nd place finish.
Head Coach Justin Leonard said, “We are so proud of the way our Dragons performed today at the Region 1-6A meet in Lubbock! It takes a true team effort, dedication, and heart to punch your ticket on such a challenging course. Every runner contributed, and their hard work all season long truly showed today. We’re excited and ready to compete at the state meet on Nov. 1!”
Senior and All American runner Caden Leonard won the individual boys’ title for the 3rd year in a row, crossing the finish line in 15:03 followed closely by star Sophomore Kai Gutierrez at 15:13 in 3rd place. These two are shaping up to be one of the top 1-2 punches in the nation in 2025. Stepping up significantly was Junior Jaxon Glenn with a strong 9th place (15:32). Senior Michael Fuller (17th, 15:51) and Junior Claudio Auns (26th, 16:04) rounded out the Dragon scoring runners. Next, they will seek their 7th straight Texas State 6A Championship in Waco on November 1st. The top 5 team average at the regional meet rivals the best ever for a high school boys team on the Mae Simmons Park course.
In the girls’ race, Senior Luna Gutierrez continued her remarkable season with a fast 18:20 on this challenging course and a 9th place finish. Rounding out the top five were Junior Megan Bergman (20th, 18:43), Junior Grace McIilain (27th, 18:54), Junior Abilgail Perez (39th, 19:24) and Junior Quinn Salstrand (46th, 19:34). Only behind nationally ranked Flower Mound, the 2nd place finish signs their ticket to Waco. These ladies held the line for the deep winning tradition for the Dragons with a top five including only a single senior athlete.
The 6A state championship meet will be held in Round Rock on Saturday, Nov. 1st. For more information, link to the meet here: UIL Cross Country State Championship 2025 - Meet Information. This will be the next step in the championship season for the Dragon XC Team.