Restoration Reaches Round Rock: Mauppin, Simpson extend DC's XC revival this fall to '19 State

Posted Date: 10/30/2019

   The Fannin County Leader

DODD CITY -- Senior Alec Simpson says he has "always been a runner."

"I always use [running] as a time to think," said Simpson.

He had hoped it would be added as a sport at Class 1A Dodd City before his graduation in the spring of 2020.

Freshman Lindsey Mauppin had been a successful runner at Sam Rayburn during junior high -- she won an individual district championship as an eighth grader after being the runner-up in seventh.

"I didn't know it was going to be a sport [at Dodd City]," said Mauppin, "but my dad (Bruce Mauppin) talked about it being added as a sport here."

At Bruce Mauppin's previous stop, 2A Sam Rayburn had produced its best years in school history in cross country during his last few as athletic director -- culminating last fall with advancing its first team to State in the sport -- under a coach on his staff.

"I recommended adding it [at Dodd City] and told them I would coach it," said Bruce Mauppin, who is now completing his first year as Dodd City's junior high and high school principal and will be the Lady Hornets' softball manager for 2020.

During the fall semester, Dodd City fielded girls and boys junior high and high school cross country teams -- after an absence of an undetermined number of years of the sport at the school.

With Lindsey Mauppin and Simpson leading the way, each Dodd City varsity team on Oct. 16 finished as a District 23-1A runner-up to advance to regional competition. Mauppin finished fourth; Simpson took eighth.

On Oct. 28, the duo gave the revived sport at the school something else this fall: State qualifiers.

"I'm excited. It's an experience; that's for sure," said Lindsey Mauppin, who finished 10th in 13:01.41 in the 3200-meter race to qualify as a girls medalist.

"My goal is to finish in the Top 20 at State," she said.

"I'm glad to be on a team that worked so hard and pushed each other," said Simpson, who finished 19th in 17:46.09 in the 5000m race to qualify as a boys medalist. "

"I'm going to go to State and run the best time I can and not worry about placement," he said. "I just want to get my best time."

The Class 1A state championships will occur on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Old Settler's Park in Round Rock. Lindsey Mauppin will run at 8:30 a.m. and Simpson will vie at 9 a.m.