FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2025
Caden Leonard for the Three-peat, Dragons for seventh straight Texas state title!
Southlake Carroll Cross Country Dominates, Sets Records at UIL State Meet
Round Rock, TX – The Southlake Carroll High School boys’ cross country team won its seventh consecutive UIL 6A Texas state title Saturday morning at Old Settlers Park, defeating runner-up Austin Vandegrift High School by 27 points. Early morning training sessions before the sun comes up, endless sacrifice and self-discipline for the sake of teammates, and pure grit resulted in a statement performance which will be talked about for years. Both Coach Justin Leornard and his All-American son Caden Leonard have cemented the legacy of Dragon Cross Country in Texas athletics history. The boys’ team set the longest consecutive “large school division” winning streak with the 2025 title while Caden broke the individual state meet winning streak at three in a row. The senior dominated the field with one kilometer to go to show that he is in championship season form leading one of the most talented and well-trained teams in school history. The Lady Dragons placed a strong fifth with some of the fastest teams in the nation. Luna Gutierrez capped off her stellar state meet career with a quick 18:15 (17th) finish. Several of the girls had their best performances of the season just in time for NXR.
Not to be outdone by the superstar Senior Caden Leonard, Sophomore Kai Gutierez raced to one of the fastest Dragon times ever on the course at Round Rock with another sub 15 finish for 4th place (14:57). This historic team win sets the school and XC coaching staff as the standard in the storied Texas running history books which includes many national champions and Olympians. The boys’ 1-5 spread was 70 seconds due in part to Leonard’s lightening fast victory but their team time goes down in the record books as well at 15:23. With improving competition over the years, the boys team just keeps getting better and with only two seniors on varsity, the Dragon legacy looks to remain strong for years to come. Of note beyond Leonard and Guttierez’ exceptional day, was Junior Jaxon Glenn who stepped up to a blazing 15:39 in 24th place and Junior Claudio Auns in 36th 15:47. Rounding out the state champion squad were Senior Michael Fuller (56th, 15:52), Junior Grant Norgart (49th, 15:54) and Junior Evan O’Donnell (68th, 16:06).
Head Coach Justin Leonard said, “Every year brings new challenges, fresh competition, and rising expectations—yet this group met them head-on. Capturing a seventh state title in a row reflects not just talent, but a culture built on hard work, teamwork, and belief. Now it’s up to the underclassmen to carry that tradition forward and continue what this incredible group has built.”
The Lady Dragons placed 5th overall which is quite notable with the level of running talent on the girls side this year. Two of the teams in the top four are nationally ranked. Senior leader Luna Gutierrez set the standard yet again (17th, 18:15). Rounding out the top five were Junior Megan Bergman (37th, 18:36), Junior Grace McIilain (47th, 18:45), Junior Abilgail Perez (52nd, 18:50) and Junior Quinn Salstrand (83rd, 19:18). The girls’ look to build upon this top 5 finish at Nike XC Regionals in less than a month to try to gain a birth at the national championships in Portland, Oregon.
Next up for both squads is the Nike XC South Regional meet at College Station on November 24, 2025. The Dragons and Lady Dragons will face the top runners from throughout the South at the challenging Watts Cross Country Course. For more information, link to the meet here: NXR South Regional. This will be the next step in the championship season for the Dragon Cross Country Team.