The Flower Mound girls cross country team will attempt to accomplish something that no other program has done in the history of the sport in Texas…for a second time.
When the Lady Jags won their fifth straight state championship in 2024, it was the first time that had ever been accomplished in the sport of girls cross country at the 6A level in state UIL history.
This year, Flower Mound is going for number six.
“Winning one state championship is very difficult,” coach Andrew Cook said. “So, to go on and win five in a row is something that is hard to put into words. We have a group of girls that work hard and believe they can compete with the best teams in the state each year.”
With the likes of such athletes as Keira Primer, Liana Cluley-Garza and Adeline “Adi” Bennett, leading the way, it is no wonder that the Flower Mound girls have dominated the way they have.
The three Lady Jags runners have never tasted defeat at the highest level in their high school careers, and while Cook is expecting great things from these runners in 2025, he said if it was not for local past legends like Natalie Cook, Samantha and Nicole Humphries and other state champion-level distance runners, things may have gone differently.
“They set the tone early of what our expectations would be in our program,” Cook said. “They could have only been focused on their own individual pursuits, but instead they were focused on the team. When your fastest athletes buy into your program and what you want to achieve it makes a big difference.”
Primer agrees and said the tradition established at her school in the sport serves as an inspiration for her and her teammates.
“I think the legacy of state championships our teammates have left has definitely been a source of pride for our athletes now and definitely motivation,” Primer said. “Knowing that wearing the Flower Mound jersey means something to people, and that Flower Mound’s previous athletes have worked so hard for that makes you want to be worthy of wearing it.”
And worthy they certainly have been.
In cross country, the lowest score wins. At last year’s state championship, the team finished with a total score of 47 points—that’s 34 points better than second place Bridgeland (81 points) and 92 better than third place Katy (139 points).
But another title is always welcome and standing on that podium never gets old, especially given what these athletes put themselves through.
“A sixth championship would mean so much to me because it would represent all the early mornings, long runs in the heat, and the sacrifices we’ve made as a team,” Cluley-Garza said. “To be able to share that kind of success with my teammates again would be unforgettable.”
Besides the fact that his athletes enjoy the sport of distance running, Cook’s personal coaching style is something to which Flower Mound athletes just seem to respond.
“I just try and be myself,” Cook said. “I’m not an overly serious person and I think it’s important we keep things in perspective when it comes to high school athletics. Yes, we want to run fast, but we also want to have fun and enjoy the experience.”
And it has not always been easy.
Bennett was the top runner for Flower Mound at the state meet last year, finishing with a time of 17:43.7, which was good enough for fourth place individually.
The Flower Mound junior was riding high after helping to lead her teammates to a fifth championship, but it was rather short lived.
“Last spring I found out that I had a stress-reaction in my femur and I was unable to compete past the district track meet,” Bennett said. “It was definitely very difficult to not be able to achieve the goals I had envisioned for myself and our team for track season.
“Going through the recovery process was challenging and took a lot of self-discipline, but I am recovered now and looking forward to a great cross country season.”
That being said, Cook and all his runners are of one mindset, which is to bring home another championship in 2025.
“Winning is never easy,” Cook said. “There are many teams in the state that have the same goals as Flower Mound. To win another state championship would be just as special as our first one in 2020.”
And Cook said it is an achievement the program as a whole can reflect upon with great satisfaction.
“Winning is something that the entire team takes pride in,” Cook said. “Only seven girls run varsity, but we have 50 girls on the team. They all work hard to push each other and to help us reach our goals. When the varsity girls win a state championship it’s a victory for our entire team, not just the seven girls that competed.”
