FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 23, 2025

Kai Gutierrez Leads Dragon Boys to Victory in XC Opener at Southlake 2 Mile Invitational

Lady Dragons Take 2^nd Place

Southlake, TX – After a summer dedicated to early morning training sessions and building on the success of the 2025 track and field campaign, the Southlake Carroll cross country program opened their season at the Southlake 2 Mile Invitational at Bob Jones Park on Saturday morning. The boys’ team began its quest for a seventh consecutive state title with a dominating victory in an almost perfect score of 18 points despite having a handful of talented Dragons not racing on the day. Likewise, the girls’ team, led by senior Lilah Gornell’s 8^th place, finished in a strong second place with several top athletes not competing on the day.

Head Coach Juston Leonard stated, “We’re really proud of how our team opened the season today. The athletes showed great energy, effort, and teamwork in the 2-mile opener, and this race set a strong foundation for the rest of our cross country season.”

In the varsity elite boys’ race, sophomore Kai Gutierrrez took home the gold in a blazing 9:08, leading Carroll to a 27-point victory over second-place Byron Nelson. Senior Michael Fuller had a remarkable season opener at 9:20 in 2^nd place, followed by juniors Jaxon Glenn (4th, 9:32), Adhaven Palanivelrajan (5th, 9:40) and Claudio Auns (6th, 9:42).

In the varsity elite girls’ race, senior Lilah Gornell (8^th, 11:33) lead the way, for a team that is seeking its 4^th straight national championship bid. A solid pack of Dragons lead by Junior Grace McIlvain’s 16th place finish (12:02) included breakout freshman Nora Farden (17^th, 12:02) and senior Haley Badgett (18^th, 12:14). The competitive girls race saw the team place 2^nd to Byron Nelson.

In the varsity open race, the Dragons again took home the victory with the talented sophomore Hasan Rauf and freshman Cameron Perez both finishing at 10:16 in 4^th and 5^th place. Sophomore Ryan Kovach completed the course in the top 10 as well (8^th, 10:22). In the girls’ varsity open race, sophomore Megan Saban finished in 6^th leading the team to 4^th place in a crowded field.

In the JV races, the boys came through with another victory while the lady’s finished 3^rd. Three boys crossed the finish line in the top 10 lead by freshman Jacob Ruka (6^th, 11:10), sophomore Yates Eddins (9^th, 11:14), and senior Rayan Behjoo (11:15)

The Dragons return to action next Saturday August 30^th, running in the Coach T Invitational at North Lakes Park in Denton.

PAGE 2 – Southlake Carroll Individual Results for Varsity Elite Races