The times runners at this year's District 13-4A cross country meet should be impressive, but what teams which will be the best at making those times isn't as clear.

The District 13-4A meet begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Mount Pleasant High School campus. Hallsville coach Pat Eitel said the course is contrary to the city where the meet will be held.

The meet was moved to Mount Pleasant last week after heavy rain made the course original site, Jimmie Hunt's Farm in Hallsville, muddy and potentially hazardous.

"We ran it last year and we had pretty good times. For about a quarter-mile, we run on a paved road," Eitel said. "It's pretty flat."

The varsity girls will run at 10 a.m., followed by the varsity boys.

The top three teams and top 10 individuals advance to the Class 4A Region II Meet on Nov. 7 at Vandergriff Park in Arlington.

In girls team competition, Eitel said Sulphur Springs has good tradition, but he considers Pine Tree to be the team to beat.

Pine Tree will attempt to win its third consecutive district title.

In individual girls competition, Eitel is expecting a repeat championship. Pine Tree's Lana Davis returns to defend her 2008 13-4A title.

"Lana finishes in the top three in just about every meet she enters, no matter what the competition or how big the schools are," Eitel said.

The boys competition could also have a dominant individual. Marshall's Jonathan Tijerina, a two-time state qualifier, will attempt to win his third consecutive district title.

"I will be shocked if anybody beats him," said Eitel of Tijerina.

Team boys competition is not as clear cut. Sulphur Springs is the defending team champion and Eitel said the Wildcats should compete for a team title.

However, the last time Hallsville competed against Sulphur Springs, the Bobcats were on the heels of the Wildcats. Sulphur Springs finished second with 87 points while Hallsville was third with 96 points (traditional power Rockwall won the meet with 27 points).

"I really think if we run the way were capable of running, we have a good chance to win," Eitel said.

Eitel said the battle for third place in girls and boys team competition could be fierce. He said the girls competition could be between Mount Pleasant, Marshall and Longview, while the boys battle could be between Marshall, Pine Tree, Mount Pleasant and Longview.

"It feels like Longview could come up and be a dark horse," Eitel said.