Clear Lake boast 30 cross country runners

Some cross country teams dream of having 30 runners in the program, but not the defending District 24-5A champion Clear Lake Falcons.
We've consistently had 30 kids out for voluntary summer workouts at 6:30 in the morning," Clear Lake coach Mark Horton said. They've dedicated themselves to improving on last year, and it's just a tremendous environment to be around. There's so much competition within the team it really raises the bar."
The Falcons captured their ninth straight district championship last year, and that led to a second place in Region III, and a 14th state meet appearance, where they finished 10th.
We graduated some outstanding runners (district champion Sammy Abuhamra, Chris Lebeau, Kyle Whitted and Nick Wendez), but we're going to be just as strong, and this could be our year at regionals," Horton said. (Defending Region III champion) Seven Lakes lost most of its team, and (third place) Strake Jesuit lost its big gun when James Webb graduated, but Kingwood will be back strong, and so will Cinco Ranch, so it's still going to be tough."
Clear Lake has seniors John Cavallo, Tyler Christian and Beau Bennett back, and several others with varsity experience like senior Nathan Houk, juniors Bill Wright and Franklin Stagg, and sophomores Luke Romanko and Christian Williams who will challenge for the top seven every week.
Cavallo was second in district and sixth at regionals.
We'll miss the guys we lost, but we have some who will fill right in," Horton said. We'll be able to put seven pretty good runners out there."
After dominating 24-5A with a near-perfect finish, the Falcons scored 86 regional points to place behind Seven Lakes (38), and ahead of Strake Jesuit (109), Atascocita (150), Cinco Ranch (168) and Kingwood (182).
Clear Lake's first meet is at The Woodlands Friday Night Lights on Aug. 28.
--Reported by L. Scott Hainline