The Rosemary Clarke Middle School Sharks cross country team had a great day on September 6th at Sunset Park, which was the second race of their season. The race was a quick one, being only 1.3 miles. The day was already warm by the time of the middle school races, which took place at 10:25 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Despite the heat, multiple runners on both the boys’ and girls’ teams set new personal records among a field of 221 male finishers and 196 female finishers from 23 different middle schools. The Sharks’ strong performance highlights a promising season ahead for the teams.
Zander Thompson (8th grade) led the boys’ team with a top finish, clocking in a time of 8:13. This was a personal record for him and marked a significant improvement on this specific course. This was the third time Zander has run this course in his middle school career, and he beat his previous best time of 8:37, which was set in 2023. Zander was the only team member to medal, with an 18th place finish. Coach Ben Veloz had high praise for the young runner, saying, “Zander works hard at practice to be the first finisher every time. His dedication to be stronger this year is already showing up in his race times.”
Close behind was Jacob Harker (8th grade), who finished with a time of 8:31. He also set a new personal record, beating his time of 9:19 on this course from last year. Another standout 8th-grade performance came from Kamdon Jones, who finished in 9:04, a personal record.
Other notable performances included Ozias Ofseur (7th grade, 9:12) and Marzelo Nunez (7th grade, 11:03), both of whom achieved personal records. The team also saw a strong effort from Davin Gieni (6th grade), who finished in 13:13, and Jacob DeSantiago (7th grade, 14:48).
A’riyah Ruffin (6th grade) was the top finisher for the girls’ team, with a time of 9:38, setting a 24th place finish. Sierra Eichner (7th grade) followed with a time of 10:12, also a personal record, and finished in 45th place. River Carson (6th grade) also had a great race, finishing in 11:31. Brandie Blumer (8th grade) ran a solid race, finishing in 11:50, a new season record for her.
Other girls with personal records included Sophia Maurillo (7th grade, 12:17) and Delilah Quezada (7th grade, 13:43). Other notable finishers were Nai’La Myrick (6th grade, 12:05), Kenzley Pace (6th grade, 12:39), Monica Littau (6th grade, 13:00), Maddlyn Scott (6th grade, 13:40), Teagan Saunders (6th grade, 13:49), Scarlett Quezada (6th grade, 15:20), and Emma Tallent (6th grade, 15:47).
The collective effort and impressive personal records from both the boys’ and girls’ teams demonstrate their dedication and potential for continued success throughout the season. The Sharks will travel to Moapa this Saturday. “We expect to have a smaller field and cooler temperatures,” said Coach Ben Veloz.
