The term "hitting the wall" is frightening to cross country runners.

After nine regular-season races, all victories, Flower Mound Marcus sophomore Craig Lutz "hit the wall" in the Class 5A state meet.

"I went out too fast," said Lutz.

He had no choice but to slow down when fatigue overtook him, the price of too ambitious a start.

Lutz recovered to finish third in 15:10.67 and was still the area's top finisher.

Even if Lutz had run his best race, he doubts he would have beaten winner Reed Connor of The Woodlands. Lutz was disappointed on one hand, but optimistic because he still has two more chances to get back to state.

Lutz, who turned 16 earlier this month, said he benefited from strong summer training. He showed promise when he won the 3,200 meters at the Texas Relays last spring, but he flattened out after that meet.

After high school, Lutz hopes to continue to run in college. He is considering Texas, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Oregon.

Notable: Guided Poteet to a runner-up finish at the 4A state meet, giving him three state silver medals to go along with three state titles (1990, '91, '93) and three third-place showings in 20 seasons.

He says: "It has been a passion for me. I'd do it for free."

Because Aly Nielson lacked sprinter speed in seventh-grade track and field tryouts, she was grouped with distance runners.

Even though she wasn't an immediate success (she never won a medal that year), it has become apparent three years later that she is perfectly suited for distance running.

Nielson has two state silver medals, for the Class 5A state cross country meet earlier this month and for the 3,200-meter run at the state track and field meet as a freshman in May.

Nielson's attitude toward running changed after she was sixth at the district cross country meet in 2007.

"I just started working harder," she said. "I began to enjoy running more."

Even though she was coming off a victory at the Region I meet, Nielson said she surprised herself at state this season, where she ran 10:55.52.

"My goal was to get a top-10," she said.

Nielson, 15, has given up two other sports, swimming and basketball, to concentrate on running. Her father used to be a marathoner until he suffered a knee injury. Her mother is a jogger.

It is the middle of races where Nielson excels.

"I like going out and pushing myself," she said.

Notable: The freshman finished second at the Class 4A state meet, running two miles in 11 minutes, 23.59 seconds. She helped Boswell finish second as a team at state. Escobar won the 4A Region I meet in 11:24.77.

Selections based largely on state meet times