Special to the HT
RANGELY | Rangely’s cross country teams faced a new challenge this past weekend, competing at the Siena Valley Golf Course in Gypsum. The race, which included numerous 3A, 4A, and 5A teams, was a change of pace from their last meet, with runners navigating a soft, grassy course with rolling hills.
The middle school runners kicked things off. In a field of 82 girls, Dani Thayn ran a solid race, finishing in the middle of the pack with a time of 15:27.
The boys’ race featured 108 competitors. Rhys Talbot led the team with a time of 13:47, and Dax Halcomb followed with a time of 16:08.
The girls’ race saw an impressive 205 runners toe the line. Taya Wren had an outstanding performance, taking an early lead with the top pack and holding on to finish third overall with a time of 20:39. Faith Prieto was the second finisher for the team, coming in at 27:27. Kylee Caldwell ran a great race, finishing with a time of 30:33, followed closely by Addie Thayn at 30:53. Country Casto rounded out the team with a time of 32:22.
The boys’ race was equally competitive, with 215 runners. Jay Valdez led the Rangely boys with a time of 19:34. Tavan Morgan had a strong race at 20:06, with Kyler Fouts just 12 seconds behind him at 20:18. Antonio Prieto finished with a time of 23:13, while Alec Gillard came in at 23:57. Titus Friedrich and Gage Nielsen ran most of the race together, with Friedrich pulling ahead at the end to finish in 24:16 and Nielsen in 24:52.
The middle school team will take the next week off. The high school team, however, will be back in action at the Demon Invite in Arvada, where they will get another opportunity to compete against a diverse field of athletes.
