The Ross cross country teams hit the trails this past weekend at the Stockader Invitational in Old Fort, turning in strong performances despite battling through injuries and illness.
The Lady Giants placed third overall, an impressive finish considering two of their top runners were sidelined. Freshman standout Lily Kiser once again led the charge, racing to a runner-up finish in the girls’ field. Julia Norris crossed in 15th, with Ari Hinojosa-Williams close behind in 18th. Rounding out the scoring for Ross were Ella Lozano in 33rd and Kailani Long in 45th.
On the boys’ side, Ross claimed sixth place overall. Sophomore Bentley Lopez continued his breakout season with a runner-up finish of his own. Teammates Boogie Sanchez (24th), Colin Rich (25th), LJ Gabel (38th), and Will Spotts (39th) followed to round out the team scoring.
Head coach John Elder praised his runners for battling through adversity.
“Another promising day on a very tough course,” Elder said. “The girls most likely would have come away with a win if we had been at full strength. The boys also could have placed higher, but a couple of them were battling illness this week. We’re two weeks away from championship season, so we’re going to do what’s necessary to make sure everyone is ready.”
The Little Giants will be back in action this weekend when they travel to the Huron Invitational.