Stratford runner Dylan Roberts made Spartan history this past weekend when he finished in the Top 10 at the Region 3 Cross Country Meet. The Top 10 runners earn a trip to the state competition. Roberts is the first Stratford runner to advance past Regionals.

“I feel honored to be a part of Stratford history,” Roberts said. “Hopefully our program can build on this and become a stronger running program.”

Roberts ran a personal best 16 minutes 3 seconds that was good for ninth place at a fast North Harris College field.

“I feel really good about my performance,” Roberts said. “The times this year was much faster than they were last year. I had to run a personal best in order to qualify for state.”

With more than 200 runners present, Roberts felt the reason for his strong finish was his great start. Stratford coach Janice King-Jones said it is much more than physical strength.

“I have never coached an athlete who was so mentally strong,” King-Jones said. “In workouts, kids want to try and get close to him when running. They look up to him. He is the measuring rod.”

King-Jones has coached Roberts since he was a freshman and has watched him develop into one of the top runners in the state.

“She (King-Jones) has really helped me accomplish my goals,” Roberts said. “She lets me know when to run hard and when to lay back. I trust her coaching a lot.”

The state cross-country meet will in Round Rock at McNeil High School on Saturday, Nov. 11. The boys will start at 11:10 a.m.

Subscribe to this comment's feed