Logan makes first appearance to state meet a memorable one
Logan Neighbor paces himself during the Class 3A Region I meet.
ROUND ROCK — Last season freshman Logan Neighbor was the third best long distance runner on the team.
Near noon Nov. 15 on a brisk and breezy day, the Burnet High School sophomore stepped onto Old Settlers Park in Round Rock for the Class 3A State Cross Country Championships to complete a successful whirlwind season.
In only his second varsity season and his first state championship race, Neighbor ran the 5K course in 17 minutes, 16 seconds and placed 45th out of Texas’s best 110 long-distance runners.
“This was a great showing for a first state meet experience,” said head coach Stuart Dixon. “Logan had a great season. He was all-district, top 10 at the regional meet and finished in the top half at the state meet. All this for a sophomore is very impressive.”
Neighbor cut his time by nearly a minute from his previous competition on the same course Oct. 4 during the McNeil Invitational. In that race, he finished 31st in a field of 363 runners in 18:10. The Burnet runner qualified for the state meet by placing fifth at the District 8-3A Championships in Fredericksburg with a time of 17:29 Oct. 29 and finishing 10th Nov. 5 at the regional meet in Lubbock with a personal best of 16:38.
Other remarkable accomplishments on the cross-country circuit include a 12th place (17:07) finish at the Lampasas Invitational, 17th (17:20) at the Cedar Park Invitational and fourth place (16:58) at the Gatesville Invitational.
He also experienced a confidence booster at the Belton Invitational where he first reset his personal best early in the season.
The quiet 5-foot 8-inch sophomore grew up in a family of runners who inspired him. Big brother Seth, a distance runner, and older sister Kathlyn, a sprinter, blazed the trail for him at Burnet schools. Neighbor won his first race in the fourth grade at the Bluebonnet Festival.
“I just love to run,” he said.
In preparation for the season, Neighbor biked and ran on alternating days and attended a track camp during the summer.
Dixon said the young runner, who liked to shoot out of the gate like a cannon, learned strategy and became a smart athlete this season.
He finished the year as the top runner for the Bulldogs and is expected to become a significant leader for the next two years.
Courtesy photo