The RCMS cross country team kicked off their season at the Palo Verde Labor Day Invitational on Saturday, August 31, 2024, marking a promising start for the young athletes. Despite the challenging heat and humidity, the runners showed determination and spirit in their first race of the season.
Head Coach Ben Veloz, who has been with the RCMS cross country program for seven years alongside Coach Katie Floyd, expressed optimism about the season ahead. “We have 26 runners out this season,” said Veloz. “Coach Floyd and I were happy to see the younger runners eager to do their best that morning. I’m excited to see how much the team will grow this season.”
In the 1.7-mile race, 7th grader Zander Thompson shined by placing 6th out of 54 runners with an impressive time of 11:53, earning a medal with his top 10 finish. Fellow 7th grader Kamdon Jones also delivered a strong performance, finishing in 14th place with a time of 12:59.
The 8th graders also had notable performances, with Rylan Bliss securing 4th place out of 28 runners and Addy Murphy taking 8th place with a time of 14:16, both earning medals. Meanwhile, 6th grader Caitlyn Layne narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing 11th with a time of 14:24.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Coach Veloz noted, “The heat and humidity Saturday morning didn’t make this competition easy. Many runners have gained the experience as their first cross country race ever.”
The RCMS cross country team benefits from a unique camaraderie with the high school runners, as they share a bus to meets and receive valuable mentorship. “Our middle school team joins the high school runners on the bus, who have always been welcoming of our team. In fact, many of our current PVHS runners began their cross country career at RCMS. The high school runners do a great job of mentoring our young runners at the meets,” said Coach Veloz. “We typically take close to 20 runners each meet, when possible.”
Other female runners who competed in the race included Zoey Campbell and Lynette Doty. The remaining male runners were William Cassell, Jaxson Castaneda, Jacob DeSantiago, Jordan Garcia, Marciano McDonald, Ozzy Ofseur, and Max Voegele.
Back Zoey Campbell
As the season progresses, the RCMS cross country team looks forward to building on their strong start, with their coaches excited to see the potential and growth of each runner unfold.
