Archer City XC looking for second-straight district championship

The Archer City Lady Cats return the majority of their district-championship winning team from a season ago and look to repeat as district champions.

Seniors Rebecca Taggart and Jenny Smith headline the group that edged out Olney 57-50 at the district competition last year while juniors Kassidy Marin and Landri Payne are back with experience at the regional meet while newcomers Serenity Jones and Emily Anderson are expected to make a big splash.

“It would be really good to repeat,” Archer City cross country coach Amy Huseman said. “We’ve got quite a few of the same members back that won it last year. We’d like to repeat as district champs and place a little higher at the regional meet and hopefully send some to state.”

Marin finished second in district a season ago to lead Archer City with a time of 13:28.31 and headlines the group as the Lady Cats’ record-holder. She previously broke the record as a freshman and again as a sophomore. Taggart finished sixth with a time of 14:13.03 while Payne posted a 20th-place finish with a time of 16:01.59.

On the boys side, junior Chase Curry represents the lone varsity member on the Wildcats team as he makes his cross country debut.

Expectations are that the Wildcats and Lady Cats open the season on Thursday, Sept. 1, in Burkburnett.

With all the experience back, the Lady Cats should be contenders at the Region II-2A Cross Country Championship on Oct. 24-25 at Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie.