Boys’ cross country packed their racing shoes and sandals in anticipation of balmy temperatures for the Nike Cross Regionals – Southwest in Gilbert, Ariz. Unfortunately, sweatpants replaced sandals with the uncooperative weather consisting of low 50s and buckets upon buckets of rain.
The team lineup included freshman Scott Johnson, sophomore Josh Miller, junior Zach Wood, junior Brayden Quinn, junior Dillon DeSalvo, and senior Zach Goering. The boys left for the meet early Friday morning, Nov. 22, and returned that Sunday, Nov. 24, a day after the competition.
Despite the end of the cross country season four weeks earlier, many runners still chose to run the postseason race. “I felt motivated to run for my coach,” sophomore Josh Miller said.
The race consisted of 1,128 male runners from Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. The male racers were divided into four open groups and one championship level. The boys ran in the third open race.
While for some competitors the unusually frigid Ariz. weather exhibited an obstacle, the Legend boys, use to the chilling temperatures, still raced well with Miller even obtaining a personal best time of 17:55.88.
“The lower altitude made it easier to run since I felt refreshed. The lower altitude probably even contributed to my personal record time,” Miller said.
Besides training and competing, the boys still had time to hang out and chill in the hotel hot tub. “The highlight of my trip was just getting to spend time with my team,” Miller said.
Team is definitely a word the boys would use to define their cross country program. “We all run together and perform better because we are friends and a team,” Miller said.
For a video of the race check out http://usa.milesplit.com/meets/147232/videos?id=45222.