By Catherine Liggett

The boys’ varsity cross country team stepped up to the start line for the final time this season.  The boys placed 12th as a team at the 5A Region 5 State Qualifier Meet on Oct. 17. Despite a missed opportunity to compete at the State Championships, the boys still believe they have a chance to perform in the postseason and prepare for next year.

Junior Dillon DeSalvo, along with three of his teammates, was able to achieve a season personal best at the Regional meet, running the Monument Valley course in 18 minutes and 24 seconds.  Other runners to set a season best on the course included freshman Scott Johnson, senior Jackson Davis, and senior Greg Brantley.

“The regional race helped me see that I can run faster than I think.  I ran a personal best and was able to pass some of the top varsity runners,” DeSalvo said.

While the season may be over, the boys refuse to give up on running this winter and are preparing to compete in the Southwest Nike Cross Regionals in Arizona this November.  DeSalvo is saving his best effort for a great race in Gilbert, AZ and is determined to “get a good time and race to the best of my abilities.”

“On top of competing, I just want to have a good time with my teammates, but still mainly focus on competing,” DeSalvo said.

The team has its sights set on the future and is ready for a substantially better season next year.  “Next year is our year.  We’re all going to be a little more serious, take our workouts to the max, and just overall have more focus,” DeSalvo said.

Through the highs and the lows of the past cross country season, DeSalvo has learned one essential lesson to running: “At the end of the race, you don’t want to feel like you could have gone faster.  If you think you’re running fast, then run faster.”