The Allen High School Eagles cross country team will travel to North Lakes Park in Denton to compete in the District 6-6A Championship on Oct. 12.

The Eagles are led by returning runners, junior Michelle Monroe and seniors Jacob Pruitt and Jeremy Carlo. The team has one race left before district. Runners on both the girls’ and boys’ teams are looking to win district again after both teams won last year.

“We’re really prepared going into district because of our workouts,” Monroe said. “We wake up at 6 a.m. every morning, and [practices] have been getting harder and harder, so we’re able to peak at district and our times will be able to drop.”

Last season the girls’ and boys’ teams went to regionals, placing ninth and fifth respectively, led by former seniors such as state qualifier Jake Johnson. Despite the graduation of key runners, Pruitt said the team has been able to have leaders step up and push each other.

“We realized that we all really have to try harder now without [Jake],”  Pruitt said. “Winning every race is really hard as a team because we’re not as fast as him, so we all really have to work together to push hard to pick up what he left.”

Out of four races, the girls have compiled three third place finishes. The boys team has managed to get themselves one third place finish along with two fourth place finishes, even after facing some injuries this season.

“We haven’t been able to meet our full potential this season yet due to a couple of injuries,” Carlo said. “It’s kind of different because we don’t really know what we can do but looking at it, it’s starting to take ship and I think we’re looking pretty good.”

Several runners have the opportunity to set personal records or advance individually at North Lakes Park Oct. 12. Carlo said the Allen cross-country team as a whole only has one goal.

“Our goal is we’ve got to make it to state,” Jeremy Carlo said. “I mean, that’s the goal every year, so we work as hard as we can and hope things work out.”