Springlake-Earth's Taytum Goodman maintains dominance, avoids cockiness
Three years in as the most dominant cross country runner in the state, Springlake-Earth junior Taytum Goodman knows the drill by now.
Win race, usually several minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. Chat with family. Do another interview. Move on with her day.
It's become more routine than brushing her teeth. It's simply part of being a record-breaking runner that hasn't lost a race in years. And she's come to appreciate each aspect of the experience.
"I started getting interviewed, I guess, when I was a freshman," Goodman said, "and ever since then, it just made me realize and think about the questions you've asked me and I've started to realize what they all mean to me. It means something special. So I always feel comfortable doing it."
Comfortable is an appropriate word to describe Goodman's nature, whether its how she wins races — like winning the 1A girls two-mile race during Saturday's Lubbock ISD Invitational at Mae Simmons Park — or handling her success.
She finished Saturday's race in 11:42.50. The second-place finisher was her teammate, freshman Aabriella Villanueva, who crossed the finish line in 13:57.70. A comfortable margin of victory.
Having her teammate finish second, and helping the Lady Wolverines repeat as team champions, is nice and all, but ultimately, Goodman's focus is elsewhere.
"I'm not gonna say I'm there for myself," Goodman said. "I like my team, but to me, running is my thing. That's what I want to do, you know? So I kind of just push myself."
Goodman said she hasn't changed much to her approach. Why mess with a winning formula?
Now, a budding junior who's starting to look at her options to run in college, Goodman has no time for outside distractions. She doesn't need them. With older brother Trace now out of the house, attending school at Texas Tech and walking on with the track team, she's learning to be her own motivating factor.
"When he was at home, he always kind of helped me a little bit for the short distance, so now that I'm just on my own, It just makes me want to try harder," Goodman said.
As comfortable as Goodman has become with herself and what she's able to accomplish on each course she runs, she's a long way from letting it get to her head.
"I don't like being cocky," Goodman said. "People come up to me and say 'Hey, are you gonna win,' or something and I walk away. I don't want that. If you're gonna be cocky, then go to yourself. Don't be cocky. Just go out there and win your race. Anything can happen."
Persistence 'paying off' for Plains' Menjivar
Jhoan Menjivar hasn't quite had the season he had hope for. Splitting time between being one of Plains' top football players and one of its top cross country runners has been a bit tiring.
But giving up on either activity is out of the question. Menjivar loves doing both. He doesn't want to have to decide between the two.
Less than 24 hours after catching 13 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' loss to Ralls on the gridiron, Menjivar finished ahead of the pack in the 2A boys 5,000-meter race, winning in a time of 17.28.5. Breaking through was a satisfying feeling for the junior.
"It's a big success for me," Menjivar said of his victory on Saturday. "It just shows me how the price is paying off for me."
LISD INVITATIONAL
Mae Simmons Park, Lubbock
GIRLS
Class 1A
1. Taytum Goodman, Springlake-Earth, 11:42.50, 2. Aabriella Villanueva, Springlake-Earth, 13:57.70, 3. Ummi Chanez, Marfa, 13:58.10, 4. Bucki Smith, Spur, 13:59.40, 5. Kelsie Gunter, Nazareth, 14:00.30, 6. Aundrea Garcia, Marfa, 14:02.50, 7. Kamryn Nail, Jayton, 14:11.00, 8. Jace Chisum, Jayton, 14:17.00, 9. Jayley Connell, Sands, 14:27.60, 10. Madison Brockman, Nazareth, 14:33.80.
Class 2A
1. Kaidy Ornelas, Roscoe Collegiate, 13:18.30, 2. Brenna Butler, Gruver, 13:20.30, 3. Kiley Barrera, Plains, 13:32.20, 4. Tabor Christianelli, Quanah, 13:34.60, 5. Addy Mock, Wellington, 13:35.90, 6. Kenadee Millican, Christoval, 13:41.40, 7. Avery Cathey, Panhandle, 13:56.90, 8. Maita Loya, Sunray, 13:57.20, 9. Presley Polk, Christoval, 13:57.90, 10. Miranda Sosa, New Deal, 13:58.30.
Class 3A
1. Jaycee Lyons, Holliday, 12:13.60, 2. Konnar McClendon, Canadian, 12:40.60, 3. Rylan Raschke, Iowa Park, 12:48.50, 4. Arionna Black, Canadian, 12:52.10, 5. Braylen Lusby, Spearman, 12:57.70, 6. Analee Larrea, Denver City, 13:00.60, 7. Simone Mouras, Holliday, 13:03.30, 8. Destinee Peres, Spearman, 13:03.60, 9. Hailey Von Willer, Jim Ned, 13:04.90, 10. Kylene Elias, Tornillo, 13:08.40.
BOYS
Class 1A
1. Tayte Cormier, Irion County, 16:45.70, 2. Austin Magness, Paint Rock, 17:48.00, 3. Grif Reel, Jayton, 18:12.50, 4. Wiley Gaskins, Sands, 18:55.40, 5. Carlos Plata, Sands, 19:00.60, 6. Robert Lowrey, Jayton, 19:02.90, 7. Ben Blankenship, Jayton, 19:23.90, 8. Bryson Brockman, Nazareth, 19:51.00, 9. Hunter Lovell, Claude, 19:59.70, 10. Jaydon Rivera, Jayton, 20:03.20.
Class 2A
1. Jhoan Menjivar, Plains, 17:28.50, 2. Sawyer Hamilton, Plains, 17:45.80, 3. Julian Rodriguez, Big Lake Reagan County, 17:50.60, 4. Cory Ybarra, Ozona, 18:02.10, 5. Jackson Martinez, New Home, 18:11.80, 6. Dwight Donjuan, Quanah, 18:31.10, 7. Koy Torres, Sundown, 18:39.60, 8. Kyle Abilez, Christoval, 18:44.40, 9. Tyler Nunes, New Deal, 18:48.40, 10. Zahir Loya, Sunray, 18:51.00.
Class 3A
1. Noah Strohman, Holliday, 16:08.50, 2. Daniel Romero, Tornillo, 16:18.60, 3. Samuel Bryan, Jim Ned, 16:58.90, 4. Angel Torres, Tornillo, 17:05.20, 5. Andrew Hicks, Eastland, 17:09.30, 6. Hugo Briones, Tulia, 17:10.30, 7. Azariah Gonzalez, Dimmitt, 17:11/60, 8. Ryder Strohman, Holliday, 17:17.50, 9. Sammy Herrera, Eastland, 17:19.30, 10. Eduardo Flores, Presidio, 17:29.30.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Springlake-Earth's Taytum Goodman maintains dominance, avoids cockiness
