There’s a point in long distance running where the mind and body come out of sync. The great runners find way to push through.
That was the case for Taft junior Adelyn Miller and Sotomayor senior Ilias Braxton, who handled that adverse point to defend their individual titles at the District 29-6A cross country championships held Tuesday morning at the Northside Sports Complex.
Miller won the girls championship in 19 minutes, 12.81 seconds on the 5,000-meter course. Braxton outkicked teammate Matthew Gomez to win the boys race over the same distance in 16:04.63.
As they approached their mental walls, the motivation to repeat as district champions helped them past their difficulties.
“I wasn’t really feeling great,” Miller said. “I felt like throwing up, but it was good to be able to push. The motivation at that point is that we have a chance to make it beyond and do as well as I can knowing that I have two years left, and that time is precious.”
On Monday, Braxton visualized how his race would go, and that included the inevitable mental wall. That helped on Tuesday.
“As runners do, I got tired at the halfway mark, but I felt like everything was going the way it should,” Braxton said. “I realized that, even though I don’t feel good, I still felt I was in the exact same play I needed to be to success and do well.”
Miller and Brennan senior Kailyn Brunson broke away from the main pack about halfway through. They strode side-by-side for most of the middle portion of the race before Miller pulled way. Brunson finished nearly 40 seconds behind for second place.
Last year, Miller beat Brunson by 13 seconds for the District 28-6A title.
Sotomayor Wildcats Ilias Braxton (922) runs towards the finish line during the District 29-6A Cross Country Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday, Oct., 13, 2026. (Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News)
“It gives you some confidence, but at the same time, it’s almost unnerving because you know that you need to maintain that,” Miller said of winning back-to-back championships. “Now, you have the pressure to maintain it.”
Braxton was in the lead pack of four in the first half of the race. Braxton and Gomez worked it into a two-man race over the final mile. Braxton created enough separation down the stretch for the victory. Gomez was second in 16:08.29. O’Connor sophomore Silas Gonzalez was third (16:22.38).
Braxton won last year’s championship by two seconds. That was huge victory considering he didn’t have concrete strategy for it. This year, his mental map made a difference.
“Last year, I went out there and hung on,” Braxton said. “For this race, I stayed in the middle a little more and I started pushing a little more overall to get a better gap and surge in better places to ensure I keep my lead for longer.”
Brennan won the girls team title with 52 points. OConnor was second (65) and Sotomayor was third (70). Brunson and senior Mikayla Irby (fourth place) led the way for Brennan.
Braxton and Gomez’s 1-2 finish paced the way for Sotomayor’s team championship with 33 points. O’Connor was second (42) and Holmes was third (99).
The top three teams and top 10 individuals not on a top three team qualify for the Region IV-6A championships, scheduled for Oct. 26 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Taft Raiders Adelyn Miller (971) competes during the District 29-6A Cross Country Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday, Oct., 13, 2026. (Zach Del Bello/San Antonio Express-News)
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