TDP Week 1 Girls’ Rundown (2/23/25)

I apologize for not having this completed in time to be posted on MileSplit. The Boys’ version was an experiment on the format of what I wanted to accomplish. It will change a bit from week-to-week, but try to honor kids in each event (800, 1600, 3200) every week. Of course there will be times when I expand, but that’s the premise.

This week’s girls’ roundup will be short. I stuck with the following standards: 800m (sub-2:20), 1600m (sub-5:20) and 3200m (sub 11:20). Asa I stated on the boys’ post, these standards will change from week-to-week.

800M

Four girls broke the 2:14 barrier last week with Hailey Johnson of Lake Creek pacing the field with an impressive 2:13.16. Johnson was a podium finisher at State last year, finishing third in class 5A behind Isabel Conde De Frankenberg and Kailey Littlefield, now at Oregon and Oklahoma State, respectively. She will will a favorite for the title this year in 5A, along with Faith Murphy of Austin Anderson (2nd in 6A in ‘24) as the latter drops down a classification this year. Of course it will be interesting to see if Elizabeth Leachman (Boerne Champion) attempts the triple again, but right now Johnson looks to be in solid early season form. She will also have some competition from teammate Addie Micklos, whose 2:15.29 was just a second off her PR.

Taryn Bailey of DeSoto won the Mansfield Maberry Invitational in 2:13.24. Baily was a State podium finisher in 2023 (3rd) and qualified in 2024 but finished ninth.

Sophomore Adeline Bennett of Flower Mound continued right where she left off after a stellar freshman campaign, capturing the Byron Nelson Invitational in 2:13.39. Bennett has real range, having finished 8th at State in the 800m last spring and 4th at XC State this past fall.

The fourth runner under 2:14 was Meredith Wolfe of Round Rock who won the Dripping Springs Tiger Relays in 2:1398. Wolfe had a solid season last year and has also shown some good depth by going 5:05.95 indoor this season for the mile, as well as finishing 7th at XC State in 6A this past fall.

ATHLETE SCHOOL GR MEET TIME
Hailey Johnson Lake Creek 12 Cy Ranch Mustang Relays 2:13.16
Taryn Bailey DeSoto 12 Mansfield Maberry Invitational 2:13.24
Adeline Bennett Lewisville Flower Mound 10 Byron Nelson Invitational 2025 2:13.39
Meredith Wolfe Round Rock 12 Dripping Springs Tiger Relays 2:13.98
Addie Micklos Lake Creek 11 Cy Ranch Mustang Relays 2:15.29
Izzy Crew Dripping Springs 9 Dripping Springs Tiger Relays 2:16.53
Megan Calhoun Keller Timber Creek 12 Byron Nelson Invitational 2025 2:17.13
Savanah Moya New Braunfels 10 Comal ISD Relays 2:17.42
Brooke Lloyd Humble Summer Creek 11 Kingwood Zoe Simpson Invitational 2:17.80
Kaitlyn Barnes Cypress Springs 10 Damani Gibson Memorial Relays 2:18.81
Evanna Jacobsen Midlothian Heritage 12 Mansfield Maberry Invitational 2:19.01
Cate Cloran Austin Vandergrift 12 Dripping Springs Tiger Relays 2:19.26
Hannah Hammer Canyon Lake 12 Comal ISD Relays 2:19.30
Erin Peters Pearland 11 Cy Ranch Mustang Relays 2:19.34
Kaiyah Brown Humble Summer Creek 11 Kingwood Zoe Simpson Invitational 2:19.74
Tibbie Mustacchia Austin Vandergrift 11 Dripping Springs Tiger Relays 2:19.94

1600M

Bridgelend junior Rowen Saacke was one of only two girls who broke the 5-minute barrier this past week. Saacke’s 4:46.86 at the Damani Gibson Memorial Relays is impressive and would have placed her 6th on the 1600m list a year ago AT THE END OF THE SEASON. The 2024 State qualifier (7th) definitely has the fitness this season after a strong country country fall where she finished 8th at State and 9th and RunningLane.

The only other athlete to go under 5 was Adeline Bennett of Flower Mound, who is mentioned above in the 800m section. It appears that Bennett will be the immediate successor to the Flower Mound throne where there is no rebuilding, only reloading.

ATHLETE SCHOOL GR MEET TIME
Rowan Saacke Bridgeland 11 Damani Gibson Memorial Relays 4:46.86
Adeline Bennett Lewisville Flower Mound 10 Byron Nelson Invitational 2025 4:52.18
Mia Perez Smithson Valley 12 Comal ISD Relays 5:00.59
Brady Solansky Smithson Valley 9 Comal ISD Relays 5:02.04
Savanah Moya New Braunfels 10 Comal ISD Relays 5:02.92
Emma Wade Cedar Park Vista Ridge 12 Vista Ridge Invitational 2025 5:05.93
Huntley Buckingham Houston Episcopal/IMG 11 Dick Phillips Relays 5:07.19
Jamie Klander Katy Mayde Creek 11 Katy ISD Bubba Fife Relays 5:07.55
Evanna Jacobsen Midlothian Heritage 12 Mansfield Maberry Invitational 5:08.67

3200M

Junior Jamie Klander of Katy Mayde Creek led all runners in the 3200m this past week, winning the Bubba Fife Relays in an impressive 10:52.49, following up her 10:51.18 the week prior in Pearland. Klander finished 5th at State a year ago and 12th at XC this past fall and appears to be headed towards a great season.

Katherine Valentine of Clear Falls made the most of her name day, clocking a 10:53.38, just behind Klander at the Bubba Fife Relays (on the 15th). She reached State last spring in the 1600m, finishing 9th but was also 4th in Austin at the 2023 championships.

Huntley Buckingham, who ran for Houston Episcopal in the fall, but is also listed as with IMG, also eclipsed the 11-minute mark winning the Dick Phillips Relays in 10:58.66. She finished 3rd at the SPC XC Championships in the fall.

Victoria Guerrero of Katy finished third behind Klander and Valentine at the Bubba Fife Relays, but was still able to sneak under 11 minutes in 10:58.79, a new PR for the senior.

ATHLETE SCHOOL GR MEET TIME
Jamie Klander Katy Mayde Creek 11 Katy ISD Bubba Fife Relays 10:52.49
Katherine Valentine Clear Falls 12 Katy ISD Bubba Fife Relays 10:53.38
Huntley Buckingham Houston Episcopal/IMG 11 Dick Phillips Relays 10:58.66
Victoria Guerrero Katy 12 Katy ISD Bubba Fife Relays 10:58.79
Sophia Hamdani Houston Bellaire 11 2025 Dick Phillips Relays 11:10.22
Stoya Laydevant Conroe The Woodlands 12 Kingwood Zoe Simpson Invitational 11:10.23
Dana Rojas Vasquez McAllen 12 PSJA Battlin Bear Relays] 11:15.88

Again, this is just week one. Standards and styles may change, but my hope is the content just gets better.