By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
The future looks bright for the Comstock cross country program after the Panthers capped another successful season Saturday, Nov. 7, with a third-place finish at the UIL Class 1A state championships at Old Settlers Park.
With a young roster that exceeded expectations, the Panthers returned to the state medal stand for the third time in four years, while freshman Fernanda Lopez delivered a personal-best performance in her first state meet.
The Comstock boys entered the state meet unranked in the Texas Cross Country Coaches Association poll, but that didn’t stop them from finishing among the state’s elite programs.
The Panthers scored 155 points, edging fourth-place Cumby Miller Grove by just six points. Tilden McMullen County won the state championship with 60 points, while Garner finished second with 123.
“Our boys set their personal records at the right time to come up with an inspirational performance that most people didn’t expect,” Comstock coach Lee Abbey said.
“We knew we had the ability and work invested to deliver great results,” Abbey said.
Freshman Gustavo Flores led the Panthers in the 5,000-meter race, finishing 24th overall in 17 minutes, 52.4 seconds. Senior Noah Bahena was right behind him, placing 26th in 17:53.8, just 1.4 seconds behind his younger teammate.
John Howell placed 64th in 18:52.0, Dalton Hutchinson finished 71st in 18:58.5 and Martin Lopez rounded out Comstock’s scoring five with an 85th-place finish in 19:21.6.
Jacob Allen finished 102nd in 19:47.1, and Alan Huerta was 103rd in 19:48.0, giving the Panthers seven runners who completed the state championship course in less than 20 minutes.
The performance continued a remarkable stretch for the small-school program, which has now qualified for the state championships six consecutive years.
Comstock finished third in 2023, captured the state championship in 2024 and placed sixth in 2025 before returning to the medal stand Saturday.
This year’s success was especially meaningful considering the Panthers had to replace four of their top seven runners from last season, including a three-time state champion.
Abbey credited his younger runners for stepping into larger roles while praising the leadership of his seniors.
“Our young freshman and junior guys stepped in to replace four of our top seven runners from last year, including a three-time state champion,” Abbey said. “It came down to a six-point difference and everyone had to do their part. What a performance and what a season of growth!”
For Bahena, Saturday marked the conclusion of a remarkable high school cross country career. The senior competed in four consecutive state meets and helped the Panthers reach the medal stand three times, earning two bronze medals and a state championship.
Abbey also praised senior John Howell for his contributions to the program.
“Thank goodness for our senior John Howell. He has been our model teammate, and steady as a rock for two years,” Abbey said.
Freshman Lopez delivers personal best
On the girls side, freshman Fernanda Lopez made her state championship debut in the Class 1A 3,200-meter race, finishing in 13 minutes, 57.3 seconds.
Lopez, who qualified as an individual after the Region IV championships in Corpus Christi, finished 89th among 147 runners, according to
Abbey.
The freshman improved her regional time by approximately 36 seconds, an encouraging performance considering she was competing without her teammates for the first time.
“She seemed a little tense running with no teammates for the first time, but she delivered a personal record,” Abbey said.
Her performance gives Comstock another young runner with state championship experience heading into next season.
Young Panthers provide reason for optimism
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Saturday’s performance was what it revealed about the program’s future.
Despite losing two seniors, the Panthers will return a strong group of experienced runners next season, including two freshmen who finished among the team’s top four at state and three juniors who helped contribute to the team’s success.
The program also has an eighth-grade district champion expected to move up to the high school boys team next year.
On the girls side, Abbey expects all but one of his runners to return, giving the program an experienced foundation to build on.
The combination of returning state qualifiers, developing younger runners and a consistent record of success has Comstock positioned to remain competitive at the state level.
After six consecutive state appearances, three podium finishes in four years and a state championship, the Panthers have established themselves as one of the most consistent Class 1A cross country programs in Texas.
And with much of the roster returning, Abbey sees plenty of reasons to believe the best may still be ahead.
“I would say the future is bright for Comstock Panther cross-country,” Abbey said.
