Ellison High School’s state qualifying duo of Andy Harper and Aiden Hill finished fourth and fifth overall and Killeen High School’s DeJa Brooks was fourth in District 16-5A Cross Country on Thursday at Heritage Park in Belton.
The defending champion Eagles finished just three points off Liberty Hill’s championship pace, capturing second place in the boys’ race, with Shoemaker taking the third-place slot.
Brooks was Killeen ISD’s top finisher among the girls, finishing in 20:51.85. Liberty Hill sophomore Taylor Jorde finished in 20:08.80 to take the district crown and to pace her team’s top finish.
In the boys’ race, Harper was fourth with 16:42.23 and Hill was fifth in 16:45.36. Liberty Hill sophomore Zander Radziwon ran a blazing 15:31.46 for the win.
In addition to the Ellison and Shoemaker boys’ teams and Ellison’s Harper and Hill, KISD top-10 finishers were Matthew Patterson of Shoemaker in sixth, Emiliano Quintero of Killeen in seventh, Justin Rodriguez of Ellison in ninth and Ja’styce Reed-Williams in 10th.
For the girls, Liberty Hill, Legacy Ranch and Belton High finished first, second and third to advance as teams. Brooks was the top KISD female qualifier. Shoemaker senior Cameron Roberts finished in 11th place.
The top three teams and individuals who placed in the top 10 advanced to the Class 5A Region II meet Oct. 27 in Fort Worth.
While grateful to be moving on, all three of KISD’s top finishers sounded like they expect more from themselves moving forward.
“The course was easy. It was mainly flat. There was one hill and that was where I attacked. I kept telling myself I can do this,” said Brooks, describing how she caught and passed a couple of competitors on the hill.
“I feel good about my placement. I was seeded sixth or seventh and got fourth. My time, I made it to 20. That’s not far off my PR. I’m excited and ready to see more competition at regionals. I hope I can do really great and make it to state.”
Harper and Hill both competed at the state meet a year ago and both are well aware they are not guaranteed a return trip.
“We’ve been practicing on this course,” said Harper, noting the hill still brings a challenge. “I gave it all I could and I’m proud of my team. It’s a tough race.”
The level of competition has increased since last year when Ellison finished district with a perfect score. Harper said he appreciated the challenge of new competitors and looks forward to two more weeks of difficult training.
“It won’t be easy,” he said. “Just because we did it before doesn’t mean we’ll make it back. We have to work like we’ve never been there. I know these guys. We’ve been together four years. These guys work hard.”
“We knew it was all on the line,” said Hill, noting that he and Harper stuck together throughout the race like they did a year ago.
“I see these guys as brothers. It’s a brotherhood,” he said, naming each team member. “Consistency is key. Obsession is heart. (The work) really does pay off.”
All the District 16-5A results are posted at the following link:
https://tx.milesplit.com/meets/782854-uil-5a-district-16-2026/results
KISD photos of the 5A races are available at www.killeenisd.org/photos