A freshman lived up to the hype orchestrated by a reporter, and a senior had her brightest day in the sun in Llano High School’s Cross Country Invitational, Aug. 30.

The last time Marcos Vallejo was in an official school race was in the spring; he was in the eighth grade. On Saturday he took on about 70 varsity big boys from such communities as Hutto and Liberty Hill and Marble Falls; Round Rock McNeil and Dripping Springs and Center Point. No one from a public school beat him in the 5K race (3.1 miles). Vallejo finished second to Dennis Hodapp of St. Michael’s.

“I was pretty nervous,” Marcos said, “my legs go out before races, but once I get started I’m okay.” He was indeed, finishing in a time of just over 17 minutes, 15 seconds.

If you want a little perspective, that would be the second-best-time ever for a Jacket runner in the state competition at Old Settlers Park. Cole Hoffman posted number one, 16-53, in May.

“That may be my personal record,” Vallejo noted, “and I’ll try to do a PR at every meet. If I step up my workouts I can do better.” Marcos was featured in last week’s Fall Sports Special in The Llano News.

Jacket junior, Erik Forrister, was right behind Marcos in the Llano cross-country race. His clock read just under 17 minutes, 23 seconds. “I hung in there,” he disclosed, “and made my move during the second half of the race.” A good move it was, and it almost caught his teammate. “I wanted to push him at the end; I’m pleased with my time on this course this early in the season.”

Head coach, Dan Hughes, has two fine performers. Now all he needs is three more to complete the scoring in a cross-country meet. No other boy in Black and Orange ran in the varsity race.

Kaily Timmons has sometimes filled the toughest role in sports: that of a reserve. She works out with all the All-District types and accepts the playing time she’s given. On a humid Saturday morning, she got the baton to lead the parade. She didn't win, but her seventh place finish (out of a field of 79) was first among the Lady Jackets, and she was just three seconds behind Aimee Denham of Bandera, the only Class-3A foe to beat her.

“I was really nervous at first,” Timmons observed, “because this is the beginning of my last year here, but once I was on the move, things were fine.” Her time for two miles was just over 13 minutes, 16 seconds. That was 16 seconds faster than her effort in Llano last year, and it was the first time in her career she was the standard bearer for Jacket runners.

Kaily mentioned this challenge: “When we’re practicing, in training, there are only seven or eight of us running, but here there’s a lot more. It’s a nerve-wracking fight to get to the front, because if you don’t, you’ll get stuck in the pack, and you can’t get out because the trail is so narrow.” The course is behind the rear parking lot of the high school.

Lauren Parker was asked if it were a bit warm in the race. She indicated it wasn’t too bad, “especially if you had gills.” Parker was 12th overall. “Coach Hughes told us to go out hard in the first mile, and I try to do what the coach tells me.” If there had been a “but” added it would have been followed with something like, “it was quite a challenge in that heat, but he wanted to see what we had left.”

Timmons and Parker, a pair who had plenty left, led the Lady Jackets to third place in the team competition with Class-5A McNeil the winner and district-foe Liberty Hill, second. Chelsea Montgomery, Samantha Lopez, and Alycia Fowler made up the rest of the point contributors for Llano.

This running business is such a demanding skill, it was a good day for anyone who competed and crossed the finish line. But Marcos Vallejo and Kaily Timmons claim the unofficial, Gold medals from the host school. It is hoped that the young man enjoys a long career of success, and it's also hoped the young graduate-to-be enjoys her final strides on athletic paths which will prepare her for future paths of life.