As friends and family cheered from the sidelines at the Maverick Ramble, the Mavericks’ home meet, senior captains Drew Woodfolk and Jordan Kramer set personal records by placing first in their respective races.

Both cross-country teams competed at T. C. Jester Park on Saturday, Oct. 14. The boys finished first overall with an average 5k time of 16:30, marking the third consecutive year that the Mavericks have won the Ramble. The girls placed second behind Kinkaid. Parents, friends and other spectators supported the runners by cheering and waving signs.

“It’s so nice that, since this is one of our only meets in Houston, so many people can come, like our teachers and friends,” junior Emily Feng said.

Both teams benefited from the outpouring of support.

“Every hundred meters, there would be a teammate or a parent cheering you on,” senior Samuel Ho said. “There was constant positive energy along the whole course, and that just motivated you when you were starting to fatigue.”

Aside from the convenient location, the T. C. Jester course has many advantages.

“I always run really fast at T.C. Jester because it’s a pretty flat course,” sophomore Ishan Shah said.

Many Maverick runners set personal records including Woodfolk, who ran a 15:54, the third fastest SPC time this year. Kramer also set record at 19:18, the fourth fastest time in school history.

“T.C. Jester is a good course. It’s fast, it’s flat,” senior James Talbott said. “It’s a good representation of how you’re going to do in SPC.”

The boys’ JV team placed fifth overall, with sophomores Dylan McIntyre (13th) and Weston Clarke (33rd) placing highest for the Mavs.

“You have to wake up early for cross country, and nobody really likes that,” Clarke said. “But once you’re out there, it’s a lot of fun just to be with the guys and get a good run in.”