Cross Country: Camden Gibson wins UIL District 13-6A boys title as College Park repeats team championship
- The Woodlands Student Center
- Oct 9
- 4 min read
Gibson leads 1-2-3 Cavalier sweep; The Woodlands sits top runners while both programs manage illness and heat
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — The 2025 UIL District 13-6A Boys Cross Country Championship became a tale of depth and durability on Thursday morning as College Park High School swept the top three individual spots and repeated as team champion, while rival The Woodlands High School ran short-handed under unusually hot October conditions.
Race Results: https://my.raceresult.com/312184/
Senior Camden Gibson, one of the top distance runners in Texas this fall, led from start to finish with a composed, tactical race that showcased both patience and control. His opening mile came in just under five minutes — slower than his usual 4:40–4:45 tempo — as he settled in with the lead pack before making his move midway through the first loop.
Once he opened his stride on the back half of the course, no one could respond. Gibson crossed the line in 15 minutes 27.66 seconds, extending his lead with each turn through the shaded portion of the trail and finishing well clear of his teammates James Hadwin (15:52.92) and Praneel Ajjan (15:57.82). Their 1–2–3 finish gave College Park an early and decisive grip on the team standings, ensuring a 29-point championship total before the rest of the field reached the final stretch.
“I’m just happy I was able to run this last race with my teammates,” Gibson said. “They’re a great group.”
Behind them, The Woodlands team finished runner-up with 50 points, led by Brady Meredith (15:58.52) in fourth place — the first non-College Park runner to cross. But the Highlanders raced without two of their usual scorers. Head coach Juris Green said afterward that both Elton Martin, the team’s top runner, and senior Christian Greyling, a top 4 team member, were home sick.
“We’re missing a couple guys — our number one’s home sick, number four’s home sick, and that’s it,” Green said. “We knew we were going to qualify. Bottom line is, we’ve lived to survive another day.”
His matter-of-fact tone reflected confidence in a veteran roster still good enough to advance to regionals even while resting key athletes.
Conroe High School placed third with 99 points behind Mathew Medina (16:18.12). Oak Ridge’s Cole Williams (16:11.32) led the War Eagles to fourth (109). Caney Creek’s Logan Berggren (16:01.96) paced the Panthers in fifth (116). Grand Oaks’ Nathaniel Clements (16:18.46) led the Grizzlies (130), followed by Cleveland’s Arturo Ortiz (18:39.72) and New Caney’s Noah Orozco (18:46.82) as each topped their squads.
College Park head coach Michael Gibson said his team prepared for exactly this kind of unpredictable race. “We’ve had some kids that are out with injuries right now, so I had some seniors step in and do a great job today, fill in their spots, and it was just a good team effort,” he said. He emphasized placement over pace: “We don’t really think about time because it’s cross country. The courses are all different. Conditions are all different. So we’re looking more effort in place.
Once he opened his stride on the back half of the course, no one could respond. Gibson crossed the line in 15 minutes 27.66 seconds, extending his lead with each turn through the shaded portion of the trail and finishing well clear of his teammates James Hadwin (15:52.92) and Praneel Ajjan (15:57.82). Their 1–2–3 finish gave College Park an early and decisive grip on the team standings, ensuring a 29-point championship total before the rest of the field reached the fin
The morning started at 7:30 a.m. with temperatures already above 90°, though the wooded trail offered shade along most of the 3.1-mile loop. Teachers, parents, and athletic directors from across the district lined the finish stretch as runners emerged from the trees. Gibson, recovering from a recent illness, said he kept things simple: “Really was just to have fun with it,” he said. “Last race here, wanted to do run a lot faster, but not much I could have done right there.” He noted the opening mile went out slower than usual before he pulled away.
Coach Gibson said the Cavaliers are more unified than ever heading into regionals. “I think our workouts have come a long ways over the last couple months, and I think that we’re a little bit more unified than we’ve been in previous years, and it’s important to them,” he said. “Everybody’s important. Every single kid. Don’t matter where you are on the team, you are extremely important to us.
As the finish area cleared and teams packed up, both coaches spoke about perspective. College Park’s sweep showed the power of depth and grit, while The Woodlands’ restraint reflected trust in a long post season’s plan. Both programs advance to the Region II-6A Championships — Tuesday, October 21, in Arlington, Texas, with races beginning at 9:00 a.m. — where, for the first time this fall, both are expected to be back at full strength.
By The Woodlands Student Center Staff
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