The LD on XC

Even in the summer, C.J. Brown's days start early. The intense July heat makes 9 a.m. the most practical time to begin a training run, but the Southlake Carroll senior doesn't seem to mind the extremes of the North Texas climate. "Every day is a good day to run no matter what the weather is trying to do," the cross country star said. What propels the swift pedestrian to journey up and down the roads and sidewalks of northern Tarrant County when most of his classmates are still asleep is his desire to accomplish a feat that narrowly eluded him a year ago. Brown, who finished third in the state meet in 2007, wants to win a state championship. It's a goal that has been his driving force since he took up cross country in middle school. And it's a goal that has little to do with how he finishes individually in what he hopes is the final meet of his high school career. "First and foremost I want to win the team title," Brown said. The Carroll boys program has never won a cross country team title. Last season, Brown finished two spots behind then-senior teammate Colby Lowe, the 5A individual champion. Despite having two runners finish in the top three, the Dragons settled for a second place finish in the team standings. "We have C.J. and a number of other kids who are working hard," Carroll cross country coach Justin Leonard said. "Our goal is just to finish as high as we can." Brown believes it is his responsibility to make sure his team performs to its potential. And that means he must lead by example - just like Lowe did before him. "I'm definitely striving to work as hard as or harder than he did for the benefit of the team," Brown said. Added Leonard: "He's working trying to better his times and be as good as he can." How's this for hard work? Over the summer, Brown and teammates Ahmed Toure and Neal Smith maintained a 50-mile-a-week training regimen. On Saturdays, they timed how fast they could run one mile. Most other days, though, they ran distances much farther than the 3.1-miles they must cover in a cross country race. "You're just trying to get in top shape so your oxygen system can handle the three miles more easily than the farther stuff," Brown said. The extra work should make cross country meets a breeze, but Brown said the team puts in such rigorous training in the early part of the season that the Dragons are sometimes too worn out to perform to their potential in some races. Even so, the Carroll runners are not shy about taking on some of the top programs in the state and nation. The Dragons are scheduled to compete at meets in Fayetteville, Ark., Corpus Christi and at Flower Mound Marcus. "A lot of times we're not in top form until the postseason meets," Brown said. "That's fine. That's our goal - to lay it on the line when it counts." At state, the top five finishers from each school earn points toward the team standings. So every runner matters. "Your No. 5 runner is just as important as your No. 1 runner," Leonard said. Clearly, though, one Carroll runner stands out above the rest. Whether Brown crosses the finish line first or 15th, the senior said he won't be disappointed if the Dragons accomplish their team goal. "If I didn't finish in the top spot but we won the state meet," Brown said, "it would definitely be a successful season." Staging Ground Jim Stitt enters each meet planning to stick to his pace, but in the heat of a race, the Mansfield Timberview senior is willing to bump it up to a higher gear if he thinks he can pass his top competitors. "I go for mainly just my best time, but depending on the other runners I adjust my strategy," Stitt said. After all, a good dramatist knows when to stick to the script and when to improvise. In addition to being one of the top runners in Class 5A as a junior - he finished sixth at regionals and 8th at the state meet, Stitt took up acting last year. He appeared in two school productions, "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" and "The Sound of Music." Stitt said he feels confident on stage and is eager to pursue more challenging roles than he played last year, but his running pursuits remain his top priority. "On stage it's a lot of fun," Stitt said. "But racing is my main focus, so that's a lot more intense for me." Stitt is focused on making a return trip to state this fall. If he succeeds, he will be pursuing an individual title against an unfamiliar field of competitors. That's because the Wolves moved down from 5A to 4A for the 2008-09 school year. Stitt, though, doesn't expect 4A to present a drop off in talent compared with 5A runners. "It'll be the same," he said. "It's just different names I haven't seen before." Stitt, who spent the summer months working in customer service at a Tom Thumb grocery store and running on a course near his home, has likely saved his best performances for his senior year. After all, his running strategy emphasizes saving his best for the last. "I start off by going hard at the beginning, but I'm stronger at the end," Stitt said. Stately Eagles The Argyle boys return two of the top three runners from the Eagles squad that captured the 3A team title. Seniors Stephen Curry and Thomas Dagg finished fifth and sixth, respectively, at the state meet last year. Together they will try to help the team overcome the departure of the now-graduated Blake Woolums, who won the individual state title in 2007. Going for)Fourth Southlake Carroll is well known for its athletic exploits, especially by the football team. The girls cross country squad isn't receiving as much ink as their classmates on the gridiron, but the runners have been making an impressive annual contribution to the school's well-stocked trophy case. The 2008 Lady Dragons are pursuing their fourth consecutive state title. Last season, Carroll initially settled for second place. Humble Kingwood was named the champion at the meet, but a scoring review revealed Carroll was the rightful winner. The Lady Dragons were declared state champions two days later. Leonard, who replaces former cross country head coach Robert Ondrasek, said he wants the girls to improve each week and finish the season running to their full potential, whether or not the end result is a state title. "If that's what happens, it's what happens," Leonard said. "We've had some great runners and great traditions for the past seven to eight years. They definitely know what people have done before them. They work hard to try to maintain that level." The Lady Dragons aren't the only girls team hoping to make a statement at the state meet. In Class 4A, Boswell will try to do something that sounds modest: finish one spot higher than a year ago. However, that's actually saying a lot. The Pioneers made it to the state meet in 2007 for the first time in 12 years. The best season in program history culminated in a second-place finish to state champion Hereford. Boswell's title run will once again be led by fleet-footed sophomore Regina Germaine. As a freshman, she finished 13th at state - and seventh among runners included in the team standings. In 3A, Sanger will try to maintain its team success. Last season, the Indians advanced to state as a team, finishing 10th in the team standings. Argyle, on the other, hand, didn't make it as a team. But two Eagles runners competed individually, and both had top-five finishes. Kristy Krueger was second -- less than three seconds behind winner Bailey Belvis of Prosper. Argyle teammate Colbea Harris crossed the finish line fifth. Krueger has graduated. But Harris, now a junior, should be making a return trip to state in 2008. She's also an all-district basketball player. - TOP GIRLS Tara Upshaw Southlake Carroll, Senior '07 Finish: 11th at 5A state meet Upshaw will try to help the Lady Dragons win their fourth straight team title. Colbea Harris Argyle, Junior '07 Finish: Fifth at 3A state meet Harris has a shot at an individual title. Ashley Flores Haltom, Junior '07 Finish: 17th at 5A state meet Flores won regionals last year. Maybe she can add a state title to her list of accomplishments. Regina Germaine Boswell, Sophomore '07 Finish: 13th at 4A state meet After qualifying for state as a freshman, Germaine has set the bar pretty high for her sophomore season. Chelsea Scott Keller, Junior '07 Finish: 22nd at 5A state meet The graduation of Laleh Mojtabaeezamani makes Scott the top returner on a squad that finished fourth at state. TOP BOYS C.J. Brown Southlake Carroll, Senior '07 Finish: Third at 5A state meet No longer in the shadow of teammate Colby Lowe, he should have a legitimate shot at a state title. Craig Lutz Flower Mound Marcus, Sophomore '07 Finish: Fourth at 5A state meet The young runner should only continue to get better with another year of experience. Jim Stitt Mansfield Timberview, Senior '07 Finish: 8th at 5A state meet With Timberview's move down to 4A, Stitt will go for the gold against a new set of competitors. Stephen Curry Argyle, Senior '07 Finish: Fifth at 3A state meet Curry will try to do what Blake Woolums did in 2007: win individual and team state titles. Andrew Herrerra Southwest, Senior '07 Finish: 8th at 4A state meet The top runner in the Fort Worth ISD will try to bebecome the top runner in all of 4A. TOP 10 BOYS TEAMS Southlake Carroll Argyle FM Marcus Krum Arlington Martin Lewisville Mansfield Timberview Southwest North Side Tolar TOP 10 GIRLS TEAMS Southlake Carroll Boswell Keller Sanger Fossil Ridge Argyle Flower Mound Haltom Southwest Krum