Special to the HT
RANGELY | The Rangely cross country team faced a unique challenge last Friday, competing in the Grand Mesa Trails meet at a staggering altitude of 10,800 feet. Despite the difficult conditions, both the boys’ and girls’ teams demonstrated their resilience and teamwork on one of the most scenic courses of the season.
The varsity girls’ team placed seventh overall, with five runners scoring for the team. Faith Prieto, a sophomore, was the top finisher for the Panthers with a time of 29:20. She was followed by sophomore KJ Benson (29:58), junior Courtney Casto (33:27), and freshmen Addie Thayn (34:38) and Kylee Caldwell (34:51).
“The girls are running hard and making progress each week,” said Coach Scoggins. “They are getting closer to running as a team, which is a great sign.”
The boys’ team secured a sixth-place finish out of 10 teams, despite missing a few runners due to illness. Senior Jay Valdez led the way, placing ninth overall with a time of 22:00. Sophomores Kyler Fouts (22:39) and Tavan Morgan (23:06) ran a strong race together, while Titus Frierich (25:13) and Antonio Prieto (25:53) also had respectable times.
“The runners are working hard and have a strong ambition to improve,” said Coach Scoggins. “We should see times drop this weekend when we are not so high in altitude. We’re learning to work together as a team, and that’s what’s important right now.”
The middle school team had two competitors this week. Dani Thayn finished sixth for the girls with a time of 17:08, and Rhys Talbot placed 13th for the boys with a time of 16:28.
The Panthers will compete next on Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Eagle Valley Cross Country Invitational in Gypsum. The race will be held at the Siena Valley Club.
