Special to the HT
RANGELY | The Panther cross country harriers traveled to Craig this weekend to compete at Loudy Simpson Park. The course is notoriously challenging, often featuring difficult terrain and a grueling final-half-mile hill. However, the runners were pleasantly surprised to find the hill removed, leading to a shift in mindset focused on setting new season personal records (PRs).
The middle school runners were the first to toe the line. Dani Thayne was the lone girl competing for the Panthers. She started fast and finished strong, placing 25th with a time of 18:14 for the 2.2-mile run.
The boys’ race featured 8th grader Rhys Talbot and 6th grader Dax Halcomb. Both boys ran a hard race, with Rhys finishing in 17:06 and Dax in 18:24.
“The kids ran well, and it is always fun to see the improvement they make every week,” said Coach Scoggins.
With six girls running, the varsity team knew they would be able to score as a unit. They finished 9th overall, a respectable placement considering they were competing against larger 3A and 4A teams.
Taya Wren decided early on that the race belonged to her. She took off at a scorching pace that no one could match, dominating the field to take first place with a time of 19:37, a full 24 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.
“It was good to see her run her race; she felt and looked good,” Scoggins commented.
Other finishers for the girls included KJ Benson with a time of 23:39, and Faith Prieto finishing in 26:14. Kylee Caldwell set a new PR with 27:39, closely followed by Courtney Casto who earned a season PR of 27:57. Addison Thayn also achieved a season PR of 29:17.
“To see all the girls finish in under 30 minutes shows me that we are improving and learning at every meet,” Scoggins noted.
The boys’ varsity team had a strong showing, taking 6th place overall and finishing as the first 2A team of the meet. Nearly every boy either set a new personal record or a season personal record.
Kyler Fouts led the boys with a time of 18:27, shaving over a minute off his previous PR. Tavan Morgan was right behind him, finishing in 18:34 for a 30-second PR. Jay Valdez took third for the team with a time of 19:01—not a PR, but a strong performance following a week of hard work in the weight room and on the track.
Other runners who achieved significant improvements included Titus Friedrich, who cut over a minute for a PR of 20:49, Alec Gillard with a new PR of 21:24, and Gage Nielsen with a new PR of 22:09. Antonio Prieto also had a good race with a time of 21:48.
“It is fun to see the boys work together and score as a group,” Scoggins said. “They are working hard and pushing themselves and each other.”
The harriers will next compete in Aspen on Saturday, Oct. 4. The runners are preparing for a much tougher course; since it is a rolling hill course, the challenging terrain will certainly not be removed this time. It is a course the runners typically “hate but are proud they ran.”