Only a handful of student athletes at Ryan have chosen to compete in cross country for the 2021 season.
Ryan will launch its 2021 campaign on Saturday when they travel to Duncan to compete in the Duncan Cross Country meet.
However, the Cowboys and Cowgirls are not without some individual talent despite the fact they will not have enough competitors to be a factor in the team competition at the meets on the schedule.
“We will be low in numbers,” said second-year cross country coach Shelley Villerreal.
“But, rest assured they will each be competing very hard for individual titles,” added Villerreal.
Back for her senior campaign for the Cowgirls is four-year cross country participant Alicen Williams.
Williams had a solid junior campaign and was part of the regional champion Cowgirl squad in her sophomore season.
In the past two regional cross country meets, Williams has finished 18th among all competitors and was the fourth best individual competitor in 2020 and that qualified her for a spot in the Class 2A State Cross Country competition.
In Williams’ junior campaign, she had four top-eight finishes during the regular season.
“Alicen has been putting the miles in and I look to see her have a lot of success this season,” said Villerreal. “She has her eyes set on another appearance at state.”
Two other girls will be part of the cross country contingent for the Cowgirls.
Katelynn Dabbs, a senior, and Jasmine Villerreal, a sophomore, will also compete in cross country.
Dabbs has been part of the Cowgirl harriers since her freshman season – including the team that finished third in the regional in 2018 and was the regional champion squad in 2019.
J. Villerreal was a steady competitor for the Cowgirls during her freshman campaign.
Villerreal had two top six finishes in meets at Frederick and Sulphur.
Look for the talented athlete to also be a factor for medal honors at some of the meets this fall.
The Cowboys have three runners on the cross country team for this fall.
Mason Adsit, who has steadily improved over the years, is the veteran of this year’s Cowboy harrier team. The Cowboy junior has been a two-year letterman for the Cowboys.
Andrew Scott, who was a freshman last year and ran several meets in the junior high division, competed for the high school in the later part of the season.
Scott had three top-10 finishes – at Sulphur, Frederick and Healdton.
The distance in the Sulphur meet is 3.3 miles and Scott set the school record for the best time at that distance last season.
Scott finished 11th at the regional meet which was just short of qualifying for the state meet.
Alex Uribe is the other member of the Cowboy squad and this is his first year to compete in cross country on the varsity level.
Ryan Cross Country Schedule
AUGUST
28: at Duncan Invitational.
SEPTEMBER
3: at Comanche Nation Invitational at Geronimo; 14: at Walters Invitational.
OCTOBER
1: at Cameron University Invitational at Lawton; 4: at Sulphur Invitational; 5: at Frederick Bomber Cross Country Invitational; 9: at Waurika Invitational; 12: at Healdton Cross Country Meet; 23: Class 2A Regional at Waurika; 30: Class 2A State at Edmond Santa Fe High School.
