MEEKER | The Meeker High School cross country team hosted its first meet on the new Ute Park course this past weekend, where cool morning weather set the stage for personal records, strong performances and the final home races for the team’s seniors.
Grand Valley was the lone visiting team, and the Meeker boys came away with the team win, finishing with 21 points to edge Grand Valley’s 30. Sophomore Bradley Conrado led the Cowboys, placing second overall in 20 minutes, 42 seconds.
Right behind him was sophomore Ryan Hanberg in third at 20:44. Freshman Landon Damitz placed fourth in 21:55, senior Cameron Hanberg was fifth in 23:16, and sophomore Ashton Tapia finished seventh in 23:52 to round out the scoring five. Freshman Jackson Steele clocked 25:05 for eighth place, and senior Remy Broussard was ninth at 30:00.
In the girls’ race, senior Haylee Steele represented the Cowboys, crossing the line in 28:07 to take second place.
Head coach Marty Casey said he was proud of how the team handled its home course debut.
“I thought everyone ran well,” Casey said. “We had probably done more work on the course than practice, but everyone pushed hard throughout the race, and finished strong.”
For seniors Steele, Hanberg and Broussard, the meet marked their final chance to compete at home.
“It is a little bittersweet,” Casey said. “Remy is back this year, and working hard. Cameron has been a bit sick and Haylee is dealing with hamstring issues, but both were there, ready to race. I am very excited to host future races at this venue, and pleased that these three were able to help make that happen.”
Broussard said the milestone was meaningful.
“It was a very fun last home meet,” Broussard said. “I feel like I could have done better overall, but the finish was good. The new course felt fast and comfortable. I’m doing pretty good because I find it to be fun to pursue PRs, run fast, have fun. It has meant a lot, and I’m going to miss it.”
Jackson Steele said he enjoyed the home course and gained experience he plans to use in future races.
“It felt great running the home course. I really did like it,” Steele said. “I could have gone faster after the first lap. I feel great about my finish and the middle, just not my start. This meet kind of set me backwards on my goal, but there is always Craig this week. I have learned that this can be an escape from the busy life we high schoolers have. I mainly learned this from my sister, who is also a part of the team this year as a senior.”
Casey added that he was impressed by the team’s focus and pack running.
“We saw some good pack running, and every one of them did a good job of pushing both themselves and their teammates,” he said.
The team will be back on the road this weekend as they return to the road and head off to Moffat County Saturday, Sept. 27, with races to begin at 10 a.m. that morning. Good luck to the team this weekend and as always, go Cowboys!
