Shiner cross country: Veteran harrier Burns to end HS career at state

Shiner Lady Comanche senior cross-country runner Hayleigh Burns will conclude her high school cross-country career at the best place possible — the UIL state meet this weekend.
Burns will run in the 2A girls two mile race at 10:10 a.m. Saturday  at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.
Burns was part of the 2020 Lady Comanches state qualifying team that was the first one in 20 years or so.
Burns also helped Shiner go back to state in 2021 and 2022.
She has also competed at the state track and field meet
She qualified for state as a result of her eighth-place finish last week at regionals, finishing in a time of 13 minutes, 11.62 seconds and a pace of 6:36 per mile.
Burns first started running in junior high as a sprinter and later took up cross country.
“Hayleigh started her running career with me in JH as an amazing sprinter. Over the next couple of years, she honed her running talents and abilities into cross country where her work ethic and determination have propelled her into becoming a great hybrid runner,” Shiner head cross-country coach Michelle Winkenwerder said. “Hayleigh has not only represented Shiner four times at the state cross country meet, but multiple times in various distance events at the state track and field meet.”
She said Burns always digs down deep to find what she needs to win a race.
 “She is one of those athletes that will slowly and meticulously break you down when she finds that next gear to make sure that she comes across that finish line before you do,” Winkenwerder said. “Everything that Hayleigh earns this year is because she is willing to put in the hours and hard work that it takes to be one of the best in the state.”
Statistics have shown that a very small number of Texas high school students have the opportunity to compete at a state-level event.
Shiner ISD students have competed at various state events in sports, band and other activities over the years.
“This shows how blessed we are in Shiner with the level of commitment and work ethic that our students, faculty, and coaches are willing to put in year in and year out to achieve and maintain such high standards,” Winkenwerder said.
In a lot of those activities such as cross country, it can be very tough to reach state
“In individual events like cross country, those numbers get even harder because the number of individuals that qualify are the top 10 runners not on one of the doue advancing teams to the state tournament,” Winkenwerder said.  “This year to qualify as an individual, a runner had to place in the top 14 to advance to the state meet out of 169 runners.”