Southlake Carroll XC Captures District Title as Gutierrez and Perez Take Individual Crowns; Lady Dragons Finish Second
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2026
Kai Gutierrez Claims District Crown, Abigail Perez Produces Dramatic Comeback Victory, and Carroll's Depth Shines Across All Four Races in the Fastest District in the Nation
SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Championship season opened in impressive fashion for the Southlake Carroll High School cross country program as the Dragons captured the District 4-6A championship while the Lady Dragons narrowly missed a team title by just three points. Junior Kai Gutierrez and senior Abigail Perez earned individual championships, while Carroll's varsity and junior varsity squads produced dominant performances that showcased the depth and culture that have defined Dragon XC.
District 4-6A once again lived up to its reputation as one of the strongest and deepest districts in Texas, bringing together state and nationally relevant programs. Against that level of competition including the #25 team nationally in Keller High on the boys side and an always dominant Keller and Byron Nelson girls squads, Carroll opened the postseason with championship-caliber performances throughout the lineup.
The results were the culmination of months of preparation and disciplined hard work. Since late May, the Dragons and Lady Dragons have gathered before sunrise, balancing Texas heat, fatigue, and the demands of a rigorous academic schedule. That investment was visible throughout the meet as Carroll earned two individual champions, three team championships, and one narrow varsity runner-up finish while beginning the most important portion of the season.
Coach Leonard stated, “I’m proud of the way our athletes competed across all four races today. These performances reflect the work they’ve put in since late May and the way they push and support one another every day. Kai and Abigail showed tremendous poise and toughness to earn individual titles. Our boys executed well as a team, and our girls battled all the way to the finish in a very close championship race. Winning both JV titles also speaks to the depth of this program and the commitment of our runners. This is a strong start to championship season, and we’ll keep working to be better as we prepare for regionals.”
Boys’ Varsity 5K — Dragons Capture District Championship
The boys race unfolded strategically from the start, with roughly 15 to 20 runners still in contention near the midpoint of the race before the field gradually separated. On a slightly longer course than usual, the performances throughout the field particularly impressive. Bob Jones is known for quick fast pace races yet today’s was meant for strategy, grit, and perseverance.
Junior Kai Gutierrez delivered a masterclass performance, winning the District title in 15:23.30 gliding through the last half mile. Senior Claudio Auns followed closely in second with a 15:27.40, while senior Evan O'Donnell and West Point commit senior Jaxon “Jax” Glenn finished sixth and seventh. Senior Grant Norgart added an eighth-place finish as Carroll placed five runners in the top ten and scored 24 points to defeat a powerful Keller squad.
For Gutierrez, the victory marked his first individual District championship and represented a passing of the torch at the front of the Carroll lineup from All American and now North Carolia Tarheal runner Caden Leonard. The previous three District 4-6A individual championships belonged Leonard, one of the most accomplished distance runners in Texas high school history. Gutierrez now becomes the latest Dragon to continue that tradition. The team championship represented the first step toward Carroll's primary objective: pursuit of an eighth consecutive UIL state team championship.
Girls’ Varsity 5K — Perez Rallies for Individual Crown
The Lady Dragons were led by one of the defining performances of the District Championships as senior Abigail Perez captured the individual title in 18:02.21.
Entering the final 400 meters in third place, Perez relied on the middle-distance speed that has established her as one of Texas' premier 800-meter and 1600-meter athletes, unleashing a powerful finishing kick to surge into the lead and secure the championship for her team. The victory capped a remarkable comeback over the closing stages of the race and produced a performance expected to rank among the top 50 girls' 5K performances nationally on MileSplit this season.
Senior Grace McIlvain finished a strong eighth in 18:40.10, while senior Megan Bergman placed ninth in 18:42.00. Seniors Landry Lambert and Quinn Salstrand, along with junior Kameron Dukes, completed the scoring lineup as Carroll finished second by only three points. The squad had one of their best overall team performances of the year.
The Lady Dragons scored 50 points to Keller's 47, with the outcome remaining undecided until the final scorers crossed the line. Despite the narrow margin, the performance represented another major step forward following the team's breakthrough podium finish at the Chile Pepper Festival and reinforced Carroll's position among Texas' strongest girls programs entering the remainder of championship season. They are peaking at the exact correct time.
Senior Grace McIlvain and senior Abigail Perez continue to provide leadership for a veteran group that has helped elevate the program while mentoring the next generation of Lady Dragons.
Boys’ JV 5K — Historic Depth on Display
The boys JV race provided one of the strongest demonstrations of depth in Carroll program history and reinforced why the Dragons continue to be one of the deepest programs in the country. It is not since 2022 on a JV team which had four future collegiate runners that the boys side had this many harriers of this level.
Junior Ryan Kovach captured the JV title in 16:30.80, followed immediately by sophomore Aadi Ghanchi in second and freshman Gia-Bao To in third. Sophomore Nolan Nelson closed hard in a fifth-place finish as Carroll produced a near-perfect team score. With it hard to compare with previous years due to minor course and condition variances, the obvious depth will protect the tradition for Coach Leonard.
Senior Nathan Calvert finished sixth and senior Jack Swadish placed seventh as Carroll claimed five of the first seven positions. These two have provided much leadership and mentorship to the rest of the JV boys all year investing in the programs future. In what is widely regarded as the fastest district in the region and arguably the nation, only one non-Carroll athlete prevented a complete sweep of the top five positions.
The Dragons scored just 17 points, improving upon last year's District-winning total of 19 points and producing one of the most dominant JV performances in recent program history. The performance highlighted the remarkable depth behind the varsity lineup and reinforced why Dragon XC remains one of the deepest programs in the country.
Girls’ JV 5K — Future Lady Dragons Make a Statement
The growth of the Lady Dragons over the final weeks of the season was one of the most encouraging storylines of the championship meet.
Junior Megan Saban claimed the JV District championship in 20:06.20, leading a remarkable Carroll sweep of the first four places. Sophomore Kiley Craven finished second, freshman Karlie Cox placed third, and senior Gwendolyn Asher took fourth. These four ran as a pack from the gun and continued the green wave seen across all divisions on the day. Freshman Lauren Batten completed the scoring five in 11th place as Carroll secured the JV District championship with 21 points.
The dominant 1-2-3-4 finish showcased a wave of emerging talent positioned to make significant contributions to future Carroll cross country and track teams. Their emergence, combined with the leadership of the current varsity athletes, points to a bright future for the Lady Dragons.
Next Up: UIL Region I Championships at Mae Simmons Park
With District Championships complete, Carroll now turns its attention to the UIL Region 1 Cross Country Championships at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock on Monday, October 26, 2026. Region 1 serves as the qualifying meet for the UIL State Cross Country Championships. The 6A girls race begins at 9:00 a.m., followed by the 6A boys at 9:30 a.m. The boys continue their pursuit of an eighth consecutive state title, while both varsity teams look to carry their momentum deeper into the championship season.
Southlake Carroll – District 4-6A Individual Results
Carroll Varsity Boys (5K)
|
Team Rank
|
Athlete
|
Overall Place
|
Time
|
|
1
|
Kai Gutierrez (Junior)
|
1st
|
15:23.30
|
|
2
|
Claudio Auns (Senior)
|
2nd
|
15:27.40
|
|
3
|
Evan O'Donnell (Senior)
|
6th
|
15:37.21
|
|
4
|
Jaxon “Jax” Glenn (Senior)
|
7th
|
15:39.30
|
|
5
|
Grant Norgart (Senior)
|
8th
|
15:45.40
|
|
6
|
Adhavan Palanivelrajan (Senior)
|
10th
|
15:55.90
|
|
7
|
Cameron Perez (Sophomore)
|
18th
|
16:25.40
|
Carroll Varsity Girls (5K)
|
Team Rank
|
Athlete
|
Overall Place
|
Time
|
|
1
|
Abigail Perez (Senior)
|
1st
|
18:02.21
|
|
2
|
Grace McIlvain (Senior)
|
8th
|
18:40.10
|
|
3
|
Megan Bergman (Senior)
|
9th
|
18:42.00
|
|
4
|
Landry Lambert (Senior)
|
15th
|
19:07.40
|
|
5
|
Kameron Dukes (Junior)
|
17th
|
19:16.40
|
|
6
|
Quinn Salstrand (Senior)
|
21st
|
19:26.40
|
|
7
|
Nora Farden (Sophomore)
|
22nd
|
19:29.30
|
Carroll JV Boys (5K)
|
Team Rank
|
Athlete
|
Overall Place
|
Time
|
|
1
|
Ryan Kovach (Junior)
|
1st
|
16:30.80
|
|
2
|
Aadi Ghanchi (Sophomore)
|
2nd
|
16:42.70
|
|
3
|
Gia-Bao To (Freshman)
|
3rd
|
16:42.90
|
|
4
|
Nolan Nelson (Sophomore)
|
5th
|
16:53.40
|
|
5
|
Nathan Calvert (Senior)
|
6th
|
17:06.70
|
|
6
|
Jack Swadish (Senior)
|
7th
|
17:19.10
|
|
7
|
Ashwin Sathy (Sophomore)
|
9th
|
17:31.40
|
Carroll JV Girls (5K)
|
Team Rank
|
Athlete
|
Overall Place
|
Time
|
|
1
|
Megan Saban (Junior)
|
1st
|
20:06.20
|
|
2
|
Kiley Craven (Sophomore)
|
2nd
|
20:11.00
|
|
3
|
Karlie Cox (Freshman)
|
3rd
|
20:14.00
|
|
4
|
Gwendolyn Asher (Senior)
|
4th
|
20:29.70
|
|
5
|
Lauren Batten (Freshman)
|
11th
|
21:05.90
|
|
6
|
Sophie Mahendra (Sophomore)
|
12th
|
21:16.30
|
|
7
|
Annalise Bell (Senior)
|
21st
|
22:06.40
|