Behind Kai McCullough’s Fifth-Place Effort, Austin Vandegrift Secures Fourth Straight State Runner-Up Finish
Southlake Carroll has won the last seven UIL state Class 6A boys cross country championships. Austin Vandegrift, meanwhile, has been the state's second best team over the last four years.
ROUND ROCK, Texas–The last time the Southlake Carroll High School boys failed to win a UIL Class 6A cross country state title, the year was 2018.
That fact has been great news for the Dallas-area Dragons, who are undoubtedly one of the best programs in Texas state history.
But on Saturday, that tremendous-winning streak also happened to coincide with Austin Vandegrift’s push for its first title in school history.
Alas, it was not meant to be.
The Vipers fell in the Class 6A title-race at Old Settler’s Park for the fourth straight year, losing to Southlake Carroll by 27 points. Over that same span, in fact, the Vandegrift boys have lost by no less than 27 points in any year.
“Who else in the state can do that,” Vandegrift coach Colin Sully said afterward. “I mean, it’s such dominance.”
Vandegrift was the top-performing Austin-area team on the day, followed by a sixth-place Round Rock boys team and a ninth-place Austin Bowie girls squad. Vandegrift senior Kai McCullough was the top overall placer on the day, claiming a fifth-place nod in 15:00.9, while Round Rock junior Andrew Esparza was sixth in 15:02.7 and Austin Bowie senior Griffin Hummel was seventh in 15:02.7.
Round Rock Stony Point’s Sophia Lopez was the top-performing Austin-area girl, finishing 12th in the Class 6A race in 18:08.
Breaking Down The UIL History
Now, what about those four straight runner-up finishes? It might be the type of footnote forgotten years from now — after all, the UIL only tracks state winners in its record books.
It doesn’t make it an easier pill to swallow. The Vipers have been a state-title worthy team. However, what can you do when you run up against one of the state’s legendary programs? Sully said he has thought about that question a lot over the years. On Saturday, maybe it was as simple as this: Maybe the competition has made them become the program they’re supposed to be.
“I don’t think we’re as good as we are without Southlake Carroll,” Sully said.
Southlake Carroll’s Caden Leonard won his third-straight Texas state cross country title on Saturday. Photo Credit: Cory Mull/Austin Fit Magazine
Austin Bowie’s Griffin Hummel comptes over the early miles on Saturday at the UIL state championships. Photo Credit: Cory Mull/Austin Fit Magazine
How The Boys Race Played Out
In the Class 6A race, Southlake Carroll senior Caden Leonard — the son of Dragons’ head coach Justin Leonard — won his third straight Texas large school state title, covering the 5,000-meter course in 14:42.00 (Vandegrift’s Kevin Sanchez won two straight from 2021 to 2022).
It was the kind of performance befitting for Leonard, who ran with the pack early before jettisoning from it late and nabbed one of four performances under 15 minutes. He’s considered one of the nation’s top runners — if not the best in the nation.
McCullough wasn’t far behind. He closed out his career with his fourth straight finish in the top 30, bagging his best-ever finish after a sixth-place nod in 2024. Like Leonard, his best miles were in the back-half.
“The thing I wanted the most was to be there for my team,” McCullough said. “We have a great group, and I really wanted to make that state title happen this year. it would have been great since this is my last year, but we got second again.”
Elsewhere, Austin Westlake senior Grant Seade was just outside the top 10, clocking a time of 15:25.1 to cross the line in 12th. Vandegrift freshman Avinash Dewagan was 17th in 15:32.7, while. his teammate Collin Goodwin was 23rd in 15:38.4.
In the case of Esparza, who was R0und Rock’s top finisher, he said he worked off of McCullough. The pair dug into the dirt after a first mile that saw each behind the eight ball — they were back roughly 10 seconds from the leaders.
Esparza logged a 4:41 second mile (an impressive negative split) to get back in the mix. He said it was redemption following a 52nd-place finish as a sophomore.
“I realized that sometimes it might be scary knowing they’re 10, 15 seconds ahead of you,” Esparza said, “but understanding that this is what you want, that this is what you want them to do. This is your plan. You have to go catch them.”
Hummel held on for the final mile after being in seventh at the two-mile mark. That determination was part of what made him so consistent in 2025, he said.
An Austin Bowie girls runner competes in the Class 6A state championship race on Saturday. Photo Credit: Cory Mull/Austin Fit Magazine
Round Rock Stony Point’s Sophia Lopez crosses the line on Saturday at the UIL State Class 6A Championships in 18:08. Photo Credit: Cory Mull/Austin Fit Magazine
Finishing Out On A High Note
For Lopez, the state meet represented one final opportunity to make good on a season of growth.
She missed the entirety of the outdoor track and field season due to injury, but by Saturday, she ditched her knee-wrap and ran based on feel, soaking in the environment en route to a 12th-place finish.
What helped was a decision to charge out to a fast first mile, which saw Lopez hit the first checkpoint at 5:32.8. She was within striking distance of the top 10, and later, that push allowed her to pick off runners in the final mile.
“I’ve been trying to get myself out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I think that’s something really helped in the race, not worrying about catching everyone.”
Lopez may have missed out on a goal of being top 10, but her finish was her best placement yet, and with it came a course-best at Old Settler’s.
“I’m here for a reason and I have all these people who support me,” she said. “They believe I can do it. I believe I can do it.”
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Class 6A Boys Results
- Caden Leonard, Southlake Carroll, 14:42.0
- Ruel Newberry, Denton Guyer, 14:49.0
- Griffen Saacke, Bridgeland, 14:52.3
- Kai Gutierrez, Southlake Carroll, 14:56.5
- Kai McCullough, Austin Vandegrift, 15:00.9
- Andrew Esparza, Round Rock, 15:02.7
- Griffin Hummel, Austin Bowie, 15:06.0
- Ryder Darcey, Katy, 15:13.8
- Boston Bowcutt, Keller, 15:19.1
- Noah Garcia, El Paso Eastwood, 15:20.1
- Noah Loweree, El Paso Eastwood, 15:22.5
- Grant Seade, Austin Westlake, 15:25.1
- Rhett Austin, Lake Highlands, 15:26.4
- Aiden Adams, Northside Clark, 15:27.6
- Jayce Love, Schertz Clemens, 15:30.8
- Layton Carlisle, Bridgeland, 15:31.0
- Avinash Dewagan, Austin Vandegrift, 15:32.7
- Diego Duran, Bryan, 15:32.9
- Camden Gibson, Conroe Woodlands College Park, 15:35.9
- Nicky Repper-Molina, San Antonio Johnson, 15:36.8
- Humberto Serna, El Paso Coronado, 15:38.2
- Shepherd Steen, Churchill Fulshear, 15:38.3
- Collin Goodwin, Austin Vandegrift, 15:38.4
- Jaxon Glenn, Southlake Carroll, 15:39.0
- Anthony Abeyta, Keller, 15:40.8
Other notables: 30. Cooper Ford, Austin Bowie, 15:42.4; 32. Landon Fluckiger, Round Rock, 15:44.6; 33. Lucas Kranz, Austin Lake Travis, 15:45.9; 35. Leo Brasil, Round Rock, 15:46.7.
Class 6A Girls Results
- Macy Wingard, Denton Braswell, 16:45.7
- Laney Barnes, Houston Cypress Woods, 17:09.6
- Maya Easterwood, Coppell, 17:13.0
- Adeline Bennett, Flower Mound, 17:28.9
- Rowan Saacke, Bridgeland, 17:40.0
- Hope Smith, Bridgeland, 17:44.6
- Evangeline Williams, Wylie East, 17:49.6
- Kylie Vega, El Paso Eastwood, 17:58.9
- Susana Rawls, Bridgeland, 17:59.9
- Sophie Peterson, Houston Memorial, 18.00.7
- Naomi Weller, Conroe The Woodlands, 18:02.0
- Sophia Lopez, Round Rock Stony Point, 18:08.0
- Liana Cluley-Garca, Flower Mound, 18:09.1
- Vienna Fish, Katy, 18:11.5
- Emily Orr, El Paso Franklin, 18:13.4
- Keira Primer, Flower Mound, 18:14.7
- Luna Gutierrez, Southlake Carroll, 18:15.2
- Remington Boone, Weatherford, 18:15.4
- Kassia Kozarski, Cibolo Steele, 18:18.6
- Bess Davis, Keller Timber Creek, 18:19.3
- Eliana Rivera, Flower Mound, 18:19.7
- Alexandra Montgomery, Bridgeland, 18:23.1
- Zya Hoskins, McKinney Boyd, 18:24.2
- McKayla Kohutek, Flower Mound, 18:24.4
- Kinley Skaggs, Katy, 18:28.0
Other notables: 28. Caroline Strong, Austin Westlake, 18:29.5; 31. Olivia Laudicina, Austin Lake Travis, 18:30.2; 50. Tibbie Mustacchia, Austin Vandegrift, 18:47.6.
Austin Westlake’s Grant Seade was 12th at the Texas state cross country championships on Saturday. Photo Credit: Cory Mull/Austin Fit Magazine
