First Cross Country season reaches finish line

Campion’s first Cross Country team finished their last race in Fort Lupton to wrap up the season. What began as a few students has developed into a strong group of runners. 

Coaches Heidi Sorensen and Jennifer Sigler expressed how they were impressed by both the improvement and dedication of the students showing up at 7:15 each morning. 

“Given the amount of time that we trained, our kids raced really well,” stated Sorensen. As a team, their top finish of the season was second place at a meet in Greeley. 

For the students, this season was about not only racing but also growing as athletes while building friendships along the way.

Sophomore, Josh Fresse shared, “I like training every day and pushing others and others pushing me to be better every day. I also like that we’re really close as a team and that I could make meaningful relationships while running.”

Freshman Zach Harlow added, “I like going to the races because it is really fun to race against other schools. Cross Country has helped me become a better and faster runner.”

Sophomore, Elin Sorensen, expressed a different perspective, as her mother coached the team. “It’s super cool to have my mom as my cross country coach. I like training with the whole team. The meets are really fun and they motivate me to keep training.”

Despite the challenges of this first season, the students commented that they were happy about how much they’ve improved throughout the season and how their hard work has helped them succeed.

Luca Lu, junior, commented, “I was able to finish a distance I had never raced before and I could feel a sense of achievement after each race.”

Sophomore, Israel Ortiz, stated, “My team was amazing and I saw achievements in everyone.”

Coach Sorensen shared that they hope to encourage more students to join next year. “We are looking forward to growing the team, and hosting our own cross country meet at Campion,” Sorensen said. 

“With every race you can push yourself to your limits,” Gabriel Tostes, freshman, shared. “Despite all of the hard work, the pain and the challenges, in the end it will be worth it.”

Jill Harlow with Alex Cordoba, Student News Team