As Coppell freshman Waverly Hassman crossed the finish line at 7:49 a.m., her grimace turned into a slight smile. She placed fifth overall in a pool of 41 runners in the Elite Varsity category at the Coppell Invitational cross country meet this morning at Coppell Middle School West.

“I could have gone faster,” Hassman said. “My sister (Coppell junior Chloe Hassman) and the rest of the top five runners weren’t there, so I really had to push myself. It was an OK race overall, but I still have a long way to go.”

The top five runners travel to Irvine, Calif. next weekend to race in the Woodbridge Invitational.

The elite varsity girls placed second overall with a team score of 48 points, losing to Highland Park, which had 17 points.

The elite varsity boys placed fifth overall with a score of 96 points.

The boys team is also sending its top five players to California. They also did not race today in preparation for California.

Of the runners who did race, senior Parker Hicks was the first Coppell runner to cross the line, followed by junior Ray Aguirre. Overall, the two placed 15th and 16th, respectively.

“We’re in a pretty good position for the rest of the season,” Aguirre said. “I think we’re going to make it out of district this year.”

The District 6-6A Meet is held on Oct. 18 at North Lakes Park in Denton.

This race, held on the field behind Coppell Middle School West, had a rougher terrain than most. Although, the hills and bumps served as good preparation for future meets.

“A course like this prepares us really well,” Hassman said. “This really decides if you’re a fighter and you can get through it and if you’re going to push up the hill or quit and give up. It really puts the strong ahead.”

After its return from California, the team’s next meet is the Falcon Fast Invitational at Trinity Springs Middle School in Keller.

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