BY MATT SCOGGINS
Special to the HT
The Rangely Harriers cross country team kicked off their season at the Basalt Longhorn Invite at Crown Mountain Park in El Jebel, Colorado, competing on a mix of dirt trails and grass fields.
Middle School
The middle school team fielded three runners on the 1.75-mile course:
Katherine Sullivan (6th grade): 13:17
Dax Halcomb (7th grade): 13:48
Danielle Thayn: 13:58
High School Girls
The high school squad is boasting its largest roster in years, with several new runners showing strong potential. Senior Taya Wren led the Panther girls with a impressive second-place overall finish.
Taya Wren (Senior): 19:17 (2nd overall)
Natalie Bollinger (Junior): 27:17
Haiden Gracia (Junior): 27:20
Hailey Armstrong (Freshman): 28:14
Angel Head (Junior): 30:17
Rachel Larsen (Junior): 32:16
Courtney Casto (Senior): 34:16
Bollinger and Gracia worked together throughout the race to push each other, while Armstrong, Head, and Larsen all delivered strong performances in their first-ever cross country meet.
High School Boys
On the boys’ side, Kyler Fouts led the pack as the first Panther across the line, followed closely by Tavan Morgan, who turned in a strong time in his return from an injury.
Kyler Fouts: 20:17
Tavan Morgan: 21:09
Rhys Talbot (Freshman): 22:47
Titus Friedrich: 23:46
Alec Gillard: 25:47
Antonio Prieto: 26:08
Dimitri Morgan (Freshman): 28:28
Slade Fielder: (Completed first XC meet)
Gillard and Prieto ran together for the majority of the race, while freshman Dimitri Morgan and Slade Fielder both turned in solid debuts in their first high school cross country appearance.
Looking Ahead
“You never know what to expect for the first meet of the season,” said Head Coach Scoggins. “We have some talent, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. It will be fun to see how everyone progresses throughout the season.”
The Harriers head to the Grand Mesa County Line Trail this Friday. The athletes will face a tough test on high-altitude single-track trails.
(Left) The girls on this years Rangely Panther cross country team. The team is the largest it has been in years.
(Right) Senior Taya Wren runs for the Rangely Panther Cross Country team in the season opening race at the Basalt Longhorn Invite in El Jebel.
