The Lindale Cross Country Invitational must be considered a rite of passage for runners in East Texas. The Mineola cross country boys and girls teams had this unique experience last Thursday. 

The course is laid out in the northwest pastures of the Texas Rose Horse Park on Hwy. 110 just south of Lindale. One normally does not assume much terrain change in something used as pasture, but that is not the case at the horse park.

Races start and finish atop a hill overlooking Interstate 20 and the horse park’s many barns and outbuildings. A long downhill sends the runners on their way and levels out, a bit, after a few hairpin turns. A long, straight and steady incline brings the racers back to the vicinity of the finish, where they must summit a steep hill to reach the plateau of the finish. It is an excruciating course.

As such, the race draws a large list of schools. This year runners from 21 East Texas schools competed. Mineola boys placed 12th with Eustace, Kilgore and Spring Hill taking honors. In girls varsity, the Lady Jackets finished 10th with Kaufman, Kilgore and Bullard claiming the top spots. 

Juliana Stanley and Dalton Crowson finished with the best times for Mineola’s girls and boys teams, respectively.