By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal The Lady Broncos open their latest playoff run tonight, facing Red Oak in the bi-district round of the Class 5A, Division I bracket. The match will be played at Waco Midway and begins at 6 p.m. Lake Belton (29-12) enters as the undefeated District 16 champion, having won 18 of its last 19 matches overall, while the Lady Hawks stand at 30-11 after finishing second in District 15. Should the Lady Broncos advance, they will face either Dallas Adams or Molina in the area round. Belton (30-13) also qualified for the playoffs, landing in the Class 5A, Division II bracket after finishing second in league play, though first-round details were not available. A victory for the Lady Tigers would set up a matchup against either Dallas Wilson or Dallas South Oak Cliff. The match would be held at a neutral site on Monday or Tuesday. CROSS COUNTRY Lake Belton freshman Keira Dzenowski will compete at the University Interscholastic League Class 5A Cross Country State Championship on Friday. The five-kilometer race begins at 9:30 a.m. Dzenowski makes her debut at the prestigious event after winning the District 16 title with a time of 19:31.09 and placing 26th (19:52.07) at last week’s Region II meet. This marks the first-ever appearance by any Lake Belton athlete at the state meet. BRONCOS BASKETBALL Tryouts for the upcoming season begin Friday, running from noon to 2 p.m., and will resume Nov. 1 with another two-hour session starting at 9 a.m. Athletes can sign up at LakeBeltonAthletics.com. Players currently enrolled in first- or eighth-period basketball must still try out. Varsity football players may try out once their season concludes. Individual meetings will take place following the second session. To participate, athletes must: Have a current physical on file Submit all required paperwork Be academically eligible Wear proper athletic clothes and shoes For more information, contact head coach Zane Johnston at Zane.Johnston@BISD.net . LADY BRONCOS GOLF Lake Belton hosted its third-annual tournament last week at Temple’s Sammons Golf Course, where the Silver team placed fifth (439) and the Red team finished seventh (463). The Silver team was led by senior Suellen Tillis, who placed eighth with a personal-best 103 — three strokes below her previous record. Other Silver scores: Hayleigh McConnell (Fr.) – 111 Lillie Mikes (Jr.) – 112 Kaylee Carubelli (So.) – 113 Aurora Nane (So.) – 116 For the Red team: Whitley Truett – 107 Emory Jolivet – 114 Kaylee Holler – 119 Emily McMillon – 123 Chloe Adkinson – 124 (All Red team members are freshmen.) The Silver team returns to play Nov. 5 at Hutto’s Star Ranch Golf Course, and both teams will compete at the Waco ISD Fall Invitational on Nov. 20 at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course. YOUTH BASKETBALL Registration is now open for the Belton Christian Youth Center 2025 Basketball League. Open to boys and girls in kindergarten through eighth grade Registration deadline: Friday Season begins: Nov. 22 Spots are limited Forms are available at BCYCsports.com. For sponsorship information, call 254-939-5759. Additional details can be found at BeltonYouth.com. ATHLETIC PASSES Belton ISD Family Passes are now on sale for $75 and can be purchased at the Belton High School field house or the Belton ISD administration office.  The pass grants entry for the holder and all immediate family members to any Belton ISD home athletic event, excluding football games.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal The beginning of the University Interscholastic League basketball seasons are rapidly approaching, and soon, Belton and Lake Belton will start preparing. Girls teams are permitted to begin practicing Wednesday with scrimmages allowed starting Nov. 1. The first day for games is Nov. 7. Boys practice, scrimmage and game schedules open one week after girls teams. YOUTH BASKETBALL Registration is now open for the Belton Christian Youth Center 2025 basketball league. Boys and girls in kindergarten through eighth grade can participate. Early registration discounts are available until Sunday with the deadline set for Oct. 31. The fall season begins Nov. 22. Spots are limited. Forms are available at BCYCsports.com, and information about sponsorships can be obtained by calling 254-939-5759. For more information, visit BeltonYouth.com. ATHLETIC PASSES Belton ISD family passes are on sale for $75 and can be purchased at the Belton High School field house or at the Belton ISD administration office. The pass allows the owner and all immediate family members entry into any Belton ISD athletic event played at home, excluding football games.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal Belton ISD’s girls dominated district. The Lady Broncos and Lady Tigers traveled to Waco’s Heart of Texas Soccer Complex last week for the District 16-5A meet, where only the top three teams and top 10 individuals to complete the three-mile course extended their seasons. Although it was a difficult challenge, Lake Belton and Belton excelled and advanced. Belton ISD occupied the top two spots in girls standings and produced eight of the first 10 harriers to cross the finish line, including the field’s champion. Lady Broncos freshman Keira Dzenowski cruised to the individual championship in her debut at the event, posting a first-place time of 19 minutes, 31.09 seconds to beat her closest competitor by more than 50 seconds. Belton sophomore Isabella Warner was second (20:24.77), and she proved to be the only person capable of interrupting Lake Belton’s attempt to deliver a perfect score. The Lady Broncos’ final four scoring runners finished consecutively to give Lake Belton a winning total of 19 points — 40 fewer than the runner-up Lady Tigers (2nd, 59). A perfect score is 15. The junior trio of Jenna Benedick (3rd, 20:43.29), Madelyn Rivas (4th, 20:44.66) and Sarah Gray (5th, 20:45.97) were within three seconds of each other, while sophomore Lucy Loa completed the performance with a sixth-place time of 20:51.98. Furthermore, sophomores Alayna Fulton (9th, 21:34.84) and Elizabeth Sandlin (10th, 21:36.97) also placed among the top 10, but their times did not count toward the team total. The Lady Tigers’ remaining points were earned by freshman Ayla Wakershauser (11th, 21:46.59), junior Roxanna Delgado (12th, 21:49.32), senior Delilah Hoffman (15th, 21:56.74) and junior Nataly Valdez (19th, 22:36.16). Lilian Baggett, a sophomore, and senior Destiny Schutz also represented Belton, placing 20th (22:45.67) and 24th (23:39.45), respectively. By earning bronze medals, Killeen Chaparral (3rd, 67) will join the Lady Tigers and Belton at Arlington’s Harold Patterson Sports Complex on Monday for the Region II meet. The top four teams and the top 10 individuals at the event claim berths at the state meet. Waco University (4th, 112), Waco (5th, 150) and Killeen Ellison (6th, 153) completed the standings as Lady Trojans senior Kaelyn Oldade (8th, 21:15.19) was the lone individual to advance from the field. Lady Bobcats sophomore Yeylis Tello was seventh (21:00.25). In the boys division, Ellison did what Lake Belton fell short in attempting as the Eagles emerged with a perfect score, situating all five of their scoring runners atop the standings, including champion Aiden Hill. The junior finished in 16:13.33. Ellison ended with six top-10 performers, while second-place Chaparral (59) had two, while the Broncos rostered the final two, propelling them into the regional meet with a third-place total of 71 points. Wyatt Potts, a junior, was sixth (17:13.76) for Lake Belton, and junior teammate Jack McCullagh was 10th (17:27.25). Also scoring was freshman Drew Houston (13th, 17:38.56), sophomore Tyler Adkins-Beltran (19th, 18:10.73) and junior Josiah Briggs (23rd, 18:35.21). Broncos sophomore Cooper Schels (24th, 18:42.10) and junior Austin Adams (32nd, 19:02.38) also raced. University (4th, 121), Belton (5th, 130) and Waco (6th, 154) completed the standings. The Tigers were represented by senior Palu Maringathuparambil (14th, 17:45.72), junior Jose Perez-Diaz (20th, 18:10.80), junior Ezra Kahler (28th, 18:49.28), freshman Ethan Trevino (30th, 18:54.86), freshman Luke Roberts (38th, 20:03.81), senior Rosalio Parra (39th, 20:04.25) and junior Hayden Brown (40th, 20:09.97).

Special to The Journal Recognizing the significant impact of our public schools on the growth and strength of our local economy, the Belton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors approved a resolution in support of the Belton ISD Bond Election proposals and encourages our community to vote in favor of them. The Board heard a presentation on the bond proposals from BISD Superintendent Dr. Malinda Golden at its October 15 meeting, providing an opportunity for questions and clarification of the process and proposals; including how these bonds can be added with only a minimal increase in the tax rate due to the substantial property value growth in our area. The resolution of support was approved at the Board’s meeting. Board Treasurer and small business owner Adrienne Hodges stated, “Good schools are the backbone of a successful community, and Belton ISD has proven time and again that it’s a wise and trusted steward of our tax dollars. That’s why I’m proud to support the Belton ISD bond proposal.” Former Board Chair Jordan Samfield added, “Belton is a wonderful, thriving community and there is no better investment than that of our children and their education. The BISD Bond Proposal ensures a prosperous future for our children, our community, and our local economy and that is why I support it.” The Belton area has benefited from past investments in its schools, enhancing the quality of life and prompting people to move here from across the state and country, making Belton ISD a destination school district. The reputation of our quality local public schools is a major factor in the addition of numerous businesses in recent years, as well as significant job creation in our area. “We are proud to partner with Belton ISD in workforce development, economic growth and quality of life issues to make Belton a great place to live, work, shop, play, and raise a family,” said Randy Pittenger, Chamber President/CEO. “The process used to develop these bond proposals was thorough and inclusive, and we support this continued investment in our growing community. The fact that our growing tax base will allow us to afford these new bonds focusing on safety and learning spaces without a significant tax rate increase provides us with a unique opportunity to invest in our community and local economy,” added Pittenger. Election Day for the bond proposals is November 4, with early voting October 20–31. The Chamber encourages everyone to participate in the process by learning about the proposals and voting. More information about voting and the Belton ISD Bond Election is available at https://www.bisd.net/bond2025 or https://linktr.ee/voteyesforbisdkids.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal The beginning of the University Interscholastic League basketball seasons are rapidly approaching, and Belton ISD’s programs will soon all be preparing. While the Lady Tigers and Lady Broncos are already practicing, boys teams are permitted to begin practicing Wednesday. Scrimmages for girls programs are allowed starting Nov. 1, and the first day for games is Nov. 7. Boys scrimmage and game schedules open one week after girls teams. YOUTH BASKETBALL Registration is now open for the Belton Christian Youth Center 2025 basketball league. Boys and girls in kindergarten through eighth grade can participate. The deadline to sign up is Oct. 31. The fall season begins Nov. 22. Spots are limited. Forms are available at BCYCsports.com, and information about sponsorships can be obtained by calling 254-939-5759. For more information, visit BeltonYouth.com. ATHLETIC PASSES Belton ISD family passes are on sale for $75 and can be purchased at the Belton High School field house or at the Belton ISD administration office. The pass allows the owner and all immediate family members entry into any Belton ISD athletic event played at home, excluding football games.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal The beginning of the University Interscholastic League basketball seasons are rapidly approaching, and soon, Belton and Lake Belton will start preparing. Girls teams are permitted to begin practicing Wednesday with scrimmages allowed starting Nov. 1. The first day for games is Nov. 7. Boys practice, scrimmage and game schedules open one week after girls teams. YOUTH BASKETBALL Registration is now open for the Belton Christian Youth Center 2025 basketball league. Boys and girls in kindergarten through eighth grade can participate. Early registration discounts are available until Sunday with the deadline set for Oct. 31. The fall season begins Nov. 22. Spots are limited. Forms are available at BCYCsports.com, and information about sponsorships can be obtained by calling 254-939-5759. For more information, visit BeltonYouth.com. ATHLETIC PASSES Belton ISD family passes are on sale for $75 and can be purchased at the Belton High School field house or at the Belton ISD administration office. The pass allows the owner and all immediate family members entry into any Belton ISD athletic event played at home, excluding football games.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal Belton ISD’s girls dominated district. The Lady Broncos and Lady Tigers traveled to Waco’s Heart of Texas Soccer Complex last week for the District 16-5A meet, where only the top three teams and top 10 individuals to complete the three-mile course extended their seasons. Although it was a difficult challenge, Lake Belton and Belton excelled and advanced. Belton ISD occupied the top two spots in girls standings and produced eight of the first 10 harriers to cross the finish line, including the field’s champion. Lady Broncos freshman Keira Dzenowski cruised to the individual championship in her debut at the event, posting a first-place time of 19 minutes, 31.09 seconds to beat her closest competitor by more than 50 seconds. Belton sophomore Isabella Warner was second (20:24.77), and she proved to be the only person capable of interrupting Lake Belton’s attempt to deliver a perfect score. The Lady Broncos’ final four scoring runners finished consecutively to give Lake Belton a winning total of 19 points — 40 fewer than the runner-up Lady Tigers (2nd, 59). A perfect score is 15. The junior trio of Jenna Benedick (3rd, 20:43.29), Madelyn Rivas (4th, 20:44.66) and Sarah Gray (5th, 20:45.97) were within three seconds of each other, while sophomore Lucy Loa completed the performance with a sixth-place time of 20:51.98. Furthermore, sophomores Alayna Fulton (9th, 21:34.84) and Elizabeth Sandlin (10th, 21:36.97) also placed among the top 10, but their times did not count toward the team total. The Lady Tigers’ remaining points were earned by freshman Ayla Wakershauser (11th, 21:46.59), junior Roxanna Delgado (12th, 21:49.32), senior Delilah Hoffman (15th, 21:56.74) and junior Nataly Valdez (19th, 22:36.16). Lilian Baggett, a sophomore, and senior Destiny Schutz also represented Belton, placing 20th (22:45.67) and 24th (23:39.45), respectively. By earning bronze medals, Killeen Chaparral (3rd, 67) will join the Lady Tigers and Belton at Arlington’s Harold Patterson Sports Complex on Monday for the Region II meet. The top four teams and the top 10 individuals at the event claim berths at the state meet. Waco University (4th, 112), Waco (5th, 150) and Killeen Ellison (6th, 153) completed the standings as Lady Trojans senior Kaelyn Oldade (8th, 21:15.19) was the lone individual to advance from the field. Lady Bobcats sophomore Yeylis Tello was seventh (21:00.25). In the boys division, Ellison did what Lake Belton fell short in attempting as the Eagles emerged with a perfect score, situating all five of their scoring runners atop the standings, including champion Aiden Hill. The junior finished in 16:13.33. Ellison ended with six top-10 performers, while second-place Chaparral (59) had two, while the Broncos rostered the final two, propelling them into the regional meet with a third-place total of 71 points. Wyatt Potts, a junior, was sixth (17:13.76) for Lake Belton, and junior teammate Jack McCullagh was 10th (17:27.25). Also scoring was freshman Drew Houston (13th, 17:38.56), sophomore Tyler Adkins-Beltran (19th, 18:10.73) and junior Josiah Briggs (23rd, 18:35.21). Broncos sophomore Cooper Schels (24th, 18:42.10) and junior Austin Adams (32nd, 19:02.38) also raced. University (4th, 121), Belton (5th, 130) and Waco (6th, 154) completed the standings. The Tigers were represented by senior Palu Maringathuparambil (14th, 17:45.72), junior Jose Perez-Diaz (20th, 18:10.80), junior Ezra Kahler (28th, 18:49.28), freshman Ethan Trevino (30th, 18:54.86), freshman Luke Roberts (38th, 20:03.81), senior Rosalio Parra (39th, 20:04.25) and junior Hayden Brown (40th, 20:09.97).

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal This is the final stop before postseason begins. After logging countless hours across hundreds of miles, the cross country season is approaching its finish line. District meets for Belton, Lake Belton and New Tech are less than a week away, and at the events, only the top three teams and top 10 individuals extend their campaigns. Then, only regional meets separate harriers from the University Interscholastic League Cross Country State Championships, and today is the last preparation prior to embarking on the trek. Teams from across the area, including all three Belton ISD programs, will descend on Heritage Park for the Pro-Fit Last Chance Invitational. The event begins at 8 a.m. Lady Dragons freshman Ella Megoulla enters today’s race with momentum after winning the girls junior varsity championship at last week’s Robinson Invitational. She completed the two-mile course in 14 minutes, 45.4 seconds. Her closest competition was teammate Claire Thomas, who posted a silver-medal time of 15:20.8, beating out Bruceville-Eddy’s Kylie Tergerson (3rd, 15:29.0). Daniella Idumebor also raced for New Tech, placing 19th (16:48.6). The Dragons did not field a complete team in the boys junior varsity division, but they did produce a top-10 showing thanks to David Martinez, who was ninth (19:40.1). Daniel Zubaty (13th, 19:59.0), Desmond Long (25th, 20:40.6) and Zorian Hajduk (71st, 26:52.6) also represented New Tech on the five-kilometer route. Belton traveled to compete in the annual Granbury “Race for the Loot,” where the Lady Tigers and Tigers placed seventh and 10th, respectively, in the Class 5A-6A division. Paced by sophomore Isabella Warner (38th, 22:01.36) and junior Roxanna Delgado (40th, 22:02.32), the Lady Tigers amassed 232 points. The score was rounded out by junior Nataly Valdez (51st, 22:35.83), freshman Ayla Wakershauser (57th, 23:04.57) and senior Delilah Hoffman (64th, 23:26.17). Additionally, senior Destiny Schutz (68th, 23:47.50), sophomore Madyson Hartnett (71st, 23:59.98) and freshman Natalie Mott (74th, 24:12.10) raced for Belton, but their times did not count toward the team total. Highland Park easily captured the team title with 29 points as junior Ryan Sontag (1st, 18:53.15) and sophomore Finley Heckler (2nd, 18:56.40) were the top two finishers, beating out sophomore Landrie Coker (3rd, 19:21.28), who guided Arlington Martin (56) to second place. Burleson Centennial (3rd, 80) and Cleburne (4th, 99) completed the top four. Martin (1st, 69), Centennial (2nd, 72), Highland Park (3rd, 75) and Cleburne (4th, 116) occupied the top four spots in the boys five-kilometer race. The Tigers were 10th (259) with junior Jose Perez-Diaz (27th, 17:47.04), senior Palu Maringathuparambil (33rd, 18:07.67), senior Rosalia Parra (74th, 19:30.34), freshman Ethan Trevino (77th, 19:40.91) and junior Hayden Brown (78th, 19:41.70) accounting for the points. Alexander Castelan (83rd, 20:03.63), a junior, and sophomore Nelson Funez (89th, 20:35.46) also raced. Granbury senior Gannon Dolan (1st, 15:55.44) won the race with Chisholm Trail senior Xavier Mendez (2nd, 16:19.57) and Centennial sophomore Landon Martinez (3rd, 16:49.75) following. Lake Belton’s penultimate competition before district occurred at Saturday’s Georgetown ISD Invitational, where the Lady Broncos scored 309 points to place 11th. The Lady Broncos’ point-producers were Keira Dzenowski (25th, 20:07.5), Lucy Loa (70th, 21:19.7), Madelyn Rivas (72nd, 21:20.4), Jenna Benedick (73rd, 21:21.0) and Alayna Fulton (90th, 21:42.7), while Sarah Gray (101st, 22:02.2), Elizabeth Sandlin (105th, 22:07.2), Demi Fisher (106th, 22:08.8), Clara Hill (116th, 22:32.5) and Claire Henn (137th, 23:20.8) also competed. Georgetown won the team title with 76 points. Individual champion Landon Fluckiger (1st, 15:13.5) and bronze medalist Leo Brasil (3rd, 15:25.4) helped Round Rock (69) win the boys championship. The Broncos were 21st (601). Jack McCullagh (115th, 18:01.9), Drew Houston (136th, 18:23.0), Josiah Briggs (140th, 18:28.9), Tyler Adkins-Beltran (141st, 18:31.5) and Cooper Schels (147th, 18:42.3) were responsible for the score. Austin Adams (163rd, 19:07.5) and Efren Romero-Meza (182nd, 19:59.4) also raced for Lake Belton. Waco’s Heart of Texas Soccer Complex will host the District 16-5A meet Oct. 8, while the District 19-3A meet will be held at Cameron on Oct. 6.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal The Lady Tigers traveled to compete in Burnet’s annual tournament at Delaware Springs Golf Course on Tuesday and placed ninth out of 21 teams. Ella Hice shot a teamlow 97, while Abby Beck had a 103, Annaleigh Holliday posted a 105 and Mackenzie McGarry finished with a 109. Belton returns to action Oct. 30 at Waco’s Cottonwood Golf Club. YOUTH BASKETBALL Registration is now open for the Belton Christian Youth Center 2025 basketball league. Boys and girls in kindergarten through eighth grade can participate. Early registration discounts are available until Sunday with the deadline set for Oct. 31. The fall season begins Nov. 22. Spots are limited. Forms are available at BCYCsports.com, and information about sponsorships can be obtained by calling 254-939-5759. For more information, visit BeltonYouth.com. FUNDRAISER The seventh-annual Rockin for Youth benefit for the Clements Boys and Girls Club, Belton Tiger Athletic Booster Club and Lake Belton High School Athletic Booster Club will be held Saturday at 301 Thomas Arnold Road in Salado. The event will begin at 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $25 at the door and $20 if purchased in advance at OutHouseTickets.com. Kids ages 12 and under are free. ATHLETIC PASSES Belton ISD family passes are on sale for $75 and can be purchased at the Belton High School field house or at the Belton ISD administration office.  The pass allows the owner and all immediate family members entry into any Belton ISD athletic event played at home, excluding football games.