Sachse junior Arora Ngo is cheered on as she approaches the finish line at the District 9-6A cross country meet. Photo by Kim Dill Higginbotham / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Last season was bittersweet for Sachse’s cross country teams.
The Mustangs placed fifth in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions, marking the highest team finishes in Garland ISD history. However, Sachse fell one place short of advancing both teams to the state meet.
The Sachse boys, fresh off winning their second consecutive district title, have the experience to clear that hurdle this season.
Senior Samuel Ledbetter is seeking his second consecutive state appearance. Ledbetter has won four races this season and is coming off a district championship in 15:43. Junior Dominic Richardson finished second. Junior Sadiki Mburu and senior Ozzy Heredia, who placed fourth and fifth, respectively, at districts, round out a strong top four for Sachse.
“We have a really good top four,” Sachse head coach Kacey Laughery said. “It’ll come down to our No. 5 top runner. If we have a good performance from our No. 5 runner, we should be a shoo-in to qualify for state.”
The Lady Mustangs also have the potential to send several runners to state.
Juniors Arora Ngo (third, 19:32.39), Alicia Payne (fourth, 20:00) and Kaitlyn Herrera (seventh, 20:34) all placed in the top seven at districts. Junior Adeline Moss (12th) and Brisa Morales (17th) also finished in the top 20.
“Placing fifth last year has lit a fire for our returning boys,” Laughery said. “They’re chomping at the bit. The girls have bought in more this year, too.”
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