By Aries Ramos The Belton Journal Belton ISD’s tennis teams are off to a strong start this fall, with the Tigers, Broncos, and Dragons all showing promising performances as district play begins. The Belton Tigers began their district campaign with an impressive road victory at Chaparral High School. The team came out strong in doubles, winning the majority of matches and setting the tone for the rest of the competition. In singles play, the Tigers continued their momentum, dropping only two matches out of twelve to secure a decisive 16-3 win. The victory puts Belton at 1-0 in district play and 4-4 overall for the season. The team has shown that it can perform well under pressure, blending experienced players with emerging talent. The Lake Belton Broncos have been equally impressive, remaining undefeated through the early portion of the season. Their most recent match against University was a dominant 19-0 victory, with the Broncos winning all seven doubles matches and all twelve singles matches. Despite some closely contested games, the young team demonstrated composure to emerge victorious in every matchup. The Broncos’ next district match will be at Belton High on Tuesday, September 9, where they will look to maintain their perfect record. The Belton New Tech Dragons have faced a more challenging schedule but continue to show persistence and potential. In a recent home match against Cameron, the Dragons fought hard in doubles, with Leland Moore and Zaylen Kimball claiming a hard fought victory to extend their winning streak. Singles play also featured standout performances, with Moore and Jett Lopez picking up key wins, and Grant Wiseman taking an exhibition match. Several other matches were extremely close, going to third set tiebreakers, and although the Dragons fell just short in those contests, the team’s effort were evident. Currently 1-2 in district and 2-3 overall, the Dragons are preparing to face Marble Falls this Thursday at the Yvonne Li Tennis Center, aiming to bounce back and build momentum for the remainder of the season.  As the fall season progresses, Belton ISD’s tennis teams are showing that they have both depth and skill across the board. With upcoming matches and district play intensifying, supporters are encouraged to attend and cheer for these young athletes as they continue to represent their schools with pride.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal Belton recently released its schedule for the upcoming season, and the Tigers and Lady Tigers open by hosting Waco Midway on Nov. 12 before traveling to Azle for a two-day meet beginning Nov. 20. Belton ISD venues will host six more events before Belton High serves as the site for the District 6-5A meet Jan. 28. 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 Oct. 11 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.

Look for the sports preview inside this weeks paper. Starting this week get your Friday Night Football Frenzy every Saturday AM around town

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal A friendly rivalry is blossoming. Over the course of the season’s first few weeks, a pair of Belton ISD sophomores have established themselves as two of the area’s top runners, and last week, they proved why. Lake Belton standout Lucy Loa and Belton harrier Isabella Warner finished within three spots of each other at Friday’s Temple Pro-Fit Invitational, situating themselves within the ultra competitive field’s top 15. Racing along a three-mile course at Temple’s James Wilson Park, Warner completed the trek in 20 minutes, 57.7 seconds to place 11th overall, while Loa was 14th with a time of 21:20.6. Loa’s performance propelled the Lady Broncos to a fifth-place showing in the Class 5A-6A division, scoring 117 points to finish behind Georgetown East View (4th, 105) in the final standings. Her outing was complemented by junior teammates Sarah Gray (19th, 21:46.6), Jenna Benedick (24th, 21:59.0) and Madelyn Rivas (29th, 22:34.3), who were all in the top 30, and sophomore Alayna Fulton (35th, 22:59.3). The remainder of the Lady Tigers’ points were produced by junior Nataly Valdez (39th, 23:12.1), junior Roxanna Delgado (47th, 23:35.4), senior Destiny Schutz (57th, 23:59.8) and freshman Ayla Wakershauser (68th, 24:12.7). Additionally, Lake Belton sophomore Elizabeth Sandlin (37th, 23:07.9), sophomore Claire Henn (42nd, 23:23.2), senior Clara Hill (50th, 23:44.8), freshman Emyle Love (51st, 23:45.9) and senior Isabela Romero (55th, 23:50.8) and Belton sophomore Ai Kirkland (82nd, 24:58.3), junior Temperance Nunn (83rd, 25:00.7), sophomore Madyson Hartnett (87th, 25:08.5) and freshman Ella Johnson (92nd, 25:32.6) also competed, but their times did not count toward their team’s total. Also racing for the Lady Tigers as individuals was sophomore Lilian Baggett (59th, 24:01.8), junior Fancy Jamie (72nd, 24:28.1), senior Gabrielle Lewis (109th, 28:04.4) and senior Joan Peninger (115th, 32:02.6). Salado claimed the team title with 33 points, beating out Round Rock McNeil (2nd, 47) and Temple (3rd, 92). In the boys division, McNeil (1st, 76), Salado (2nd, 100) and Georgetown East View (3rd, 109) occupied the top three spots, while Lake Belton and Belton followed at 11th (289) and 12th (296), respectively. Broncos junior Wyatt Potts paced his team with a 36th-place time of 17:50.2, while the quartet of junior Jack McCullagh (64th, 18:43.0), junior Josiah Briggs (66th, 18:46.5), sophomore Cooper Schlesinger (70th, 18:49.4) and sophomore Tyler Adkins-Beltran (71st, 18:51.2) completed the course within 10 seconds of each other. Lake Belton also saw junior Austin Adams (76th, 19:09.5), freshman Drew Houston (77th, 19:09.5), senior Leonardo Piedra (97th, 19:50.4) and sophomore Efren Romero-Meza compete. The Tigers’ top five finishers were junior Jose Perez-Diaz (43rd, 18:08.5), junior Ezra Kaylee (50th, 18:27.8), senior Paul Maringathuparambil (53rd, 18:32.1), junior Hayden Brown (85th, 19:25.7) and junior Alexander Castelan (87th, 19:34.8). Additional participants for Belton were freshman Luke Roberts (88th, 19:35.7), sophomore Nelson Funez (108th, 20:16.5), senior Daniel Arroyo (109th, 20:18.3) and senior Corbin Ramesar (110th, 20:20.7). Belton and Lake Belton return to action today, traveling for the Waco Midway Invitational. NEW TECH The Dragons and Lady Dragons were also in attendance, but neither fielded a complete team. In the Class 1A-4A boys division, freshman David Martinez finished the three-mile race 99th, and he was followed by teammates Daniel Zubaty (113th) and Zorian Hajduk (134th). Lady Dragons freshman Ellie Megoulloa produced her team’s best time, completing the two-mile course in 16:30.0, while senior Claire Thomas (89th, 16:41.7), sophomore Daniella Idumebor (129th, 19:11.9) and freshman Ileana Antolak (140th, 21:35.0) also competed.  New Tech will attempt to build on the performance at today’s Waco Midway Invitational.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal The Lady Tigers traveled to Killeen on Tuesday and earned a straight-set victory against the host Lady Kangaroos, winning 25-11, 25-23, 25-10. Leading 14-0 in the opening set, Belton embarked on an 11-1 run to conclude the set as senior outside hitter C.J. Stites and sophomore hitter Malu Pula accounted for two kills apiece, while senior Landry Duggan served up a pair of aces during the stretch. The second set saw the Lady Tigers build a 19-15 advantage before the Lady Kangaroos rallied, claiming a 23-21 lead and forcing Belton to call a timeout. The decision paid off as the Lady Tigers won the next four points to take a 2-0 lead in the match before cruising to a one-sided decision in the third set. With the victory, Belton improves to 20-9 on the season as it prepares for Friday’s home match versus China Spring. The varsity encounter is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. The Lady Tigers remain at home Tuesday, hosting Georgetown East View at 6:30 p.m . WRESTLING Belton recently released its schedule for the upcoming season, and the Tigers and Lady Tigers open by hosting Waco Midway on Nov. 12 before traveling to Azle for a two-day meet beginning Nov. 20. Belton ISD venues will host six more events before Belton High serves as the site for the District 6-5A meet Jan. 28. 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 Oct. 11 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. 

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal The Dragons and Lady Dragons return to district competition today against Cameron Yoe at Mary Hardin-Baylor, and New Tech will be entering with momentum. Last week, the Dragons and Lady Dragons traveled to Killeen and cruised to a 14-5 victory against the host squad. New Tech lost only one doubles match en route to an early lead. The boys duo of Leland Moore and Zaylen Kimball won 4-0, 4-1, while teammate Gracin Cattertoon and Jett Lopez won 4-2, 4-2. For Moore and Kimball, the outcome was their second consecutive win as a duo. In mixed doubles, Samantha McKenzie and Tim McPike earned a 4-2, 4-2 win to go along with a trio of girls doubles victories from the tandems of Annabel Ferniza and Carime Montez, Aubrie Bower and Taylor Clay and Hope Boettger and Harper Lee. Then, Moore, Kimball, McPike, Aiden Finn, Desmond Long, Ferniz, Lee and Jessica Delgado recorded singles wins. BELTON TENNIS The Tigers and Lady Tigers improved to 2-3 on Friday, when they defeated Temple 10-2 at home. Belton trailed 4-3 following doubles matches, but bounced back with a 10-2 showing in singles, giving it a 13-6 victory. The squad returns to action Friday, traveling to Copperas Cove. 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 Oct. 11 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.

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal Belton’s first meet of the season could not have been much more successful. After spending weeks working, the start of the schedule finally arrived for the Tigers and Lady Tigers last week, when they hosted their annual meet. While the runners left the event with room for improvement, they also emerged with hardware. Led by junior Ezra Kahler, who placed third in the boys Class 5A-6A division, the Tigers captured the team title at the Belton Invitational, while the Lady Tigers were second thanks in part to sophomore Isabella Warner’s runner-up performance. Warner posted a time of 22 minutes, 33.6 seconds across the five-kilometer course at the Belton Lake & Outdoor Recreation Area to claim the silver medal, and the remainder of the team’s first five placed among the field’s top 15. Madyson Hartnett, a sophomore, finished with an 11th-place time of 24:43.8, while junior Nataly Valdez (13th, 24:53.8), junior Roxanna Delgado (14th, 25:06.9) and senior Destiny Schutz (15th, 25:25.0) completed the race consecutively. Additionally, senior Delilah Hoffman (16th, 25:34.7), freshman Ella Johnson (17th, 25:44.0), sophomore Ai Kirkland (18th, 25:49.6), freshman Ayla Wakershauser (19th, 25:52.8), junior Fancy Jaime (21st, 26:10.0), sophomore Lilian Baggett (22nd, 26:21.1) and junior Xiadani Hernandez (26th, 32:50.3) competed for Belton, but their times did not count toward the team’s total of 51. With just 19 points, Lorena earned the championship, and Copperas Cove was third (74). In the boys division, Kahler, who received the bronze medal after finishing in 19:22.3, was immediately followed by a pair of teammates in senior Palu Maringathuparambil (4th, 19:22.8) and junior Jose Perez-Diaz (5th, 19:35.6). Tigers juniors Hayden Brown (7th, 20:11.0) and Alexander Castelan (10th, 20:37.9) rounded out the score. Pflugerville (2nd, 48) and Copperas Cove (3rd, 49) completed the top three behind Belton (29). Tigers sophomore Nelson Funez (12th, 20:46.2), freshman Luke Roberts (16th, 21:35.3), sophomore Harrison Booher (18th, 22:08.9), senior Corin Ramesar (19th, 22:23.1), sophomore Marcus Hernandez (20th, 22:31.2) and senior Rosalio Parra (21st, 22:47.3) also raced. New Tech was also in attendance, but the Dragons and Lady Dragons did not field complete teams in the Class 1A-4A division. For the Dragons, junior David Martinez had the top time, placing 55th (23:07.5), while junior Desmond Long was 64th (24:33.8) and freshman Zorian Hajduk was 71st (32:17.1). In the girls two-mile race, the Lady Dragons were represented by senior Claire Thomas (46th, 14:53.9), freshman Ellie Megoulloa (47th, 14:56.4), sophomore Daniella Idumebor (76th, 18:20.9) and freshman Ileana Antolak (78th, 18:36.0). Both squads from Belton and New Tech will be back in action Friday, when they travel to Temple’s James Wilson Park for the Temple Pro-Fit Invitational. LAKE BELTON The Broncos and Lady Broncos returned to competition last week at the highly competitive Cedar Park Vista Ridge Invitational, where they placed 14th in the girls division and 23rd in the boys division. The Broncos amassed 599 points in the Gold division’s five-kilometer race behind junior Wyatt Potts’ 106th-place time of 19:03. Also scoring were junior Joshua Clark (125th, 19:22) and Josiah Briggs (139th, 19:41) and sophomores Cooper Schels (140th, 19:41) and Tyler Adkins, Beltran (147th, 19:46). Sarah Gray (66th, 22:20), Lucy Loa (70th, 22:26), Jenna Benedick (89th, 22:48), Madelyn Rivas (98th, 22:58) and Elizabeth Sandlin (122nd, 23:32) accounted for the Lady Broncos’ 394 points. Broncos freshman Drew Houston (150th, 19:49), junior Austin Adams (156th, 19:57), sophomore Efren Romero-Meza (182nd, 21:07), senior Brody Mansfield (191st, 22:35) and sophomore Anthony Garza (198th, 23:59) and Lady Broncos Alayna Fulton (123rd, 23:36), Claire Henn (124th, 23:36), Clara Hill (127th, 23:40) and Isabela Romero (154th, 24:41) also competed. Like its fellow Belton ISD schools, Lake Belton will race at the Temple Pro-Fit Invitational on Friday

By Clay Whittington The Belton Journal  New Tech’s tennis team earned its first victory of the season recently, defeating Liberty Hill Legacy Ranch 19-0 on the road. The Dragons doubles tandem of Leland Moore and Zaylen Kimball cruised to a victory, while the Lady Dragons duo of Samantha McKenzie and Annabel Ferniza easily won their match 6-1, 6-3. Additionally, Carime Montez and Hope Boettger earned a 6-1, 5-7, 10-4 win. In singles competition, Gracin Catterton also won. New Tech plays next at Killeen on Friday before resuming its District 25-4A schedule against visiting Cameron Yoe on Aug. 28, beginning a pattern of playing once a week to conclude league play. BELTON ISD TENNIS The Tigers and Lady Tigers continue their schedule Friday, when they host Temple. Then, on Tuesday, Belton travels to Lampasas. Both matches will begin at 4 p.m. The squad follows with a trip to Copperas Cove on Aug. 29 for its final tune-up prior to beginning its District 16-5A schedule at Killeen Chaparral on Sept. 2. Belton takes a quick departure from league play to host Pflugerville Weiss on Sept. 5 resuming district competition against visiting Lake Belton on Sept. 9. The Broncos and Lady Broncos were set to play Pflugerville Hendrickson on Tuesday, but inclement weather forced the teams to reschedule. 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 Oct. 11 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.

By Clay Whittington Belton Journal The cross country season has arrived, and two of the Belton ISD programs will be in action Friday. Lake Belton will open its schedule at the ultra-competitive Temple Invitational, which will be held at Temple’s Lions Park. The Broncos and Lady Broncos will traverse a three-mile course in the Class 5A/6A division beginning at 7:30 a.m. Starting at 8 a.m., Belton will take part in the more casual Vern’s No Frills 5K at Georgetown’s Berry Springs Park to begin its season. New Tech remains idle until Aug. 22, when the Dragons and Lady Dragons race in the Belton Invitational alongside the Tigers and Lady Tigers. Lake Belton will be traveling for the Cedar Park Vista Ridge Invitational on the same day. TENNIS Belton suffered a 17-2 defeat in its season opener at Waco Midway, but the Tigers and Lady Tigers bounced back with a 10-9 victory at Robinson to even their record. Belton trailed 3-4 following doubles matches and fell behind 3-7 before claiming seven of the final nine singles matches to determine the outcome. Later in the same day, however, at China Spring, the Tigers and Lady Tigers fell into a 6-1 hole and never recovered, falling 15-4. The squad looks to bounce back Friday, when it hosts Leander Glenn. On Tuesday, Belton returns home for a match versus New Tech. BRONCOS BASEBALL Lake Belton senior pitcher Maverik Maddux recently took part in the 2025 Area Code Games in Long Beach, CA., after being selected to play for the Rangers. The defending 16-5A All-District Pitcher of the Year and TCU commit threw two innings against the Reds, allowing two hits and no runs. Scouts from all 30 MLB teams were in attendance as the event serves as the beginning of a yearlong interview process, culminating with the MLB Draft each summer. BELTON BOOSTER The Belton Tigers Athletic Booster Club has scheduled its Meet the Tiger event for Saturday at 6 p.m. 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.