On Friday evening September 8th, the Thunder were once again tested mentally and physically. The second meet of the season for the DVCC Boys was fought under cloudy skies and some stormy weather on a course with some light rolling hills. The boys travelled an hour and a half south to the Crooked Tree Golf Club in Tucson to showcase their depth against over 50 other teams. In its 4th year running, the Desert Solstice meet demonstrated that Arizona has some quick, competitive races.
The evening was kicked off with some impressive efforts from the DVCC Freshman and Sophomore team. The combined Freshman/Sophomore race saw over 30 Thunder runners fight for a first-place finish with a low score of 41 points. The pack was led with an impressive time from Freshman Captain Martin Fuller (18:28) for 5th overall, followed right behind in 6th and 7th by sophomores Lucas Young (18:29) and Nicolo Perciballi (18:37), then by sophomores Vincent Larente (18:43), Mays Jones (18:51) and Adam Hansen (19:25), and finally by freshman Chris Broze (19:45).
Later into the evening, as the sun descended into the desert and the temperatures cooled, the DVCC Boys once again exemplified their depth in the combined Junior/Senior race. Led by juniors Carter Sokolovic (18:27), Ceth Reeves (18:45), and Milan Patel (18:53), the race gave our upperclassmen a taste of the other in-state JV teams this year. These boys were followed close behind by senior Grant Cuyler (19:00), juniors Micah Simpson (19:19) and Will Strickland (19:26), and backed up by Senior JV Captain David Neighbors (19:32). The efforts of these seven produced a first-place finish with a combined score of 66 points.
The final race saw the DVCC Boys Varsity compete against many runners of other in-state teams. Through the efforts of sophomore Sammy Van Alstine (16:17), junior Lee Nasewytewa (16:48), seniors Michael Tuli (17:21) and Jack Willems (17:50), juniors Neal Saxena (18:07) and Marshall Smith (18:32.4), and sophomore Noah Werbelow (18:32.6), the Varsity team produced a valiant 3rd-place finish. Though the boys were somewhat disappointed with their place, they were certainly not deterred. Because through every struggle the Desert Vista Boys Cross Country team endures, its runners always come out stronger and with a relentless hunger for excellence.
Check back next week when the DVCC Boys make the long trek out to Norco, CA for the 37th Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic. The meet is sure to produce fast times and will certainly satisfy the thirst for strong out-of-state competition.
GO THUNDER!!