By ZACH SMITH, Hill Country News

Anthony Monte was feeling under the weather in each of his last two trips to the state cross country meet. 

Last Saturday, he was feeling fine and running fast. 

The Vandegrift senior set a new personal and school record in his third and final state cross country meet on Nov. 9 in the afternoon at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, finishing second in the state with a time of 14:39.59.

“When I came out here the last two years, even though I’ve probably run this course like 15 times, I still take a lot out of it,” Monte said. “You learn a lot about what you can do to make yourself stronger actually at the race.”

Monte finished 19th last season as a junior and finished well back in the pack his sophomore year. He’ll continue his running career at Columbia University next season. 

Vandegrift head coach Colin Sully said Monte kind of emerged as a freshman and has evolved into a leader while running with all the top guys on the team.

“He’s just a professional,” Sully said. “He’s a really easy athlete to coach. He understands his body really well and knows when to back off and when to press. We know he could podium (last Saturday).”

Sully said Monte could have as many as four more races before the high school cross country season is over, including qualifying races in The Woodlands and North Carolina over the next six months. 

Monte said it’s been good to have his high school coach and club coach so close as his club coach is the father of Jordan Mathis a senior on the Vipers’ girls’ team. 

“It feels like a family being here,” Monte said, while at the state meet. “My entire team is here to support me and the girls. It’s just a bunch of guys that help hype me up before the race and stuff. I don’t think I could do a lot of it without them.”

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Area 6A state cross country results 

6A Boys: 

Anthony Monte, Vandegrift, 14:39.59, 2nd overall

Hayden Gray, Round Rock, 15:08.10, 11th overall

Sebastian Martinez, Round Rock, 15:50.90, 71st overall 

Pablo Lomeli Lluis, Westwood, 15:57.45, 82nd overall

6A Girls:

Gemma Goddard, Vandegrift, 18:03.46, 10th overall

Deepti Choudhury, Westwood, 18:06.45, 11th overall

Megan Nevlud, Round Rock, 18:14.29, 14th overall

Jordan Mathis, Vandegrift, 18:43.06, 49th overall

Caroline Nolan, Vandegrift, 19:03.27, 75th overall

Margaret McElmurry, Vandegrift, 19:10.11, 82nd overall

Taylor Mathis, Vandegrift, 19:10.60, 83rd overall

Emma Saia, Vandegrift, 19:29.92, 102nd overall

Erin Donohue, Vandegrift, 20:48.00, 138th overall

Many thanks to Tricia Goddard and Debbie Donohue for VHS cross country photos this season.

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