Navigating through the 5,000-meter UIL 6A state cross country course Saturday was practically a blur for Hays High sophomore Abby Parra.

“It just went by really fast,” Parra said. “One second I was starting and the next second, I was finishing.”

What happened between that time mattered most for Parra who seized 17th place out of more than 140 runners, capping off a successful second straight trip to the UIL state championships. The journey to get there, however, was filled ...