CFNN Reporter: Amelia Osornio

On Saturday the Cross Country team ran at the VE & Lydia H. Owen Recreational Park for regionals. This was the last race of the season that all the runners have been preparing for since the summer. The course was the toughest they’ve had to face all year, but they took on the challenge and pushed through the pain to finish.

“We had a great finish to our season at regionals. The boys team improved from 14th to 8th overall. The hard work paid off at the end of the season. The girls team showed a level of determination to finish the season strong with fewer injuries. The strategies were executed well,” said Coach Demchock after the race.

There were 7 runners for the Colts, they placed 8th out of 14 with a score of 217. Chris Shick was the first to finish with a time of 18:41 and placed 36th. Khalil Marshall was next with a time of 18:58 and placed 40th. Soon after Khalil, Colin Shick finished in a time of 19:15 placing 47th. They all worked hard for their spots on the regional team and they all exerted themselves leaving nothing behind.

“Last season our highest finisher was 57th place, and our lowest was 109th. This season our highest finisher was 36th place and our lowest was 64th, so that’s a big gap that shows some major improvement,” said Coach Demock.

The boys’ finish was a testament to the work they have put in since last season. Last season, the boys finished 13th out of 14, so the coaching staff and the team were determined to make a better showing at regionals this season. The improvement was obvious in both the finish and the times posted by the runners.

“I’m not happy with the results from regionals, but I’m happy with how the season progressed overall,” said Chris.

There were 6 runners for the girls team; they placed 13th with a score of 362. Amelia Osornio was the first to finish with a time of 26:10 placing 61st. Kamyia McNeil finished shortly after with a time of 26:27 and placed 68th. Leah Gadsden was next with a time of 27:56 and placed 77th.

“We didn’t have enough runners to score as a team, and this year we did; we achieved these goals through hard hill workouts throughout the summer to get our runners used to the elevation and dedication from our runners,” added Coach Demchock.

The girls also focused on improvement from last season. In the previous year, the girls didn’t even fill out a complete roster for the regional race. This meant that they did not have enough runners to earn a team score. This year, with more runners and improved times, the girls were able to not only score as a team, but also to make an impact on the race.

“During the race my main focus was not burning myself out on the hills, did it work, no, I got burnt out but I still finished, and I’m proud of that” said McNeill.

The hilly course was difficult to adapt to since the Colts have not run many courses like this one, but they all went out to make sure their last race was one of the best. This was the last meet of the year and was such a great season overall for the team with lots of progress being made. We can’t wait to see what the next season will bring for the Colts!