On Friday, October 27th seven DVCC runners left school in the morning to compete in the AIA Division 1 Sectionals at Crossroads Park in Gilbert. This meet determines who of the 13 teams competing will race for the state title on November 4th. Racing close to noon, the heat was definitely noticeable but not unbearable. Every year, this meet brings out the underlying drive in each competitor. Combine that with the explosive atmosphere of the spectators and you’ve got yourself men that are willing to give every ounce of strength.
The DVCC Boys always approach each meet with a motto: “taking care of business”, and business they certainly took care of. As a four-year Thunder runner, it was amazing to see the Thunder Boys compete. Every man gave a performance the likes of which are rarely seen, especially in this state. For a course that has been notoriously difficult, the DVCC Boys made it seem easy. They pounded out all 3.1 miles with unending grit and perseverance - giving the Thunder a second consecutive Sectional crown with a score of 52 (the top-5 runners scoring 1, 6, 9, 14, & 22), beating the competitors of Highland by 24 points. However, rather than over-analyzing their performances, I’ll let their times speak for themselves.
With only one race of the day, the seven demonstrated why DVCC is the best program in the state. Scoring a phenomenal first place was super-sophomore Sammy Van Alstine (15:58), followed by impressive scoring performances from senior Nick Thatcher (16:15) in 6th, junior Lee Nasewytewa (16:28) in 9th, senior J Iannone (16:42) in 14th and junior Travis Kearney (17:04) in 22nd. However, the team wouldn’t have been complete without a solid rounding out from senior Jack Willems (17:32) in 36th and freshman Martin Fuller (18:23) in 54th.
With the performances of these boys, Desert Vista Cross Country runners have once again demonstrated they can accomplish anything they set their minds and hearts to. With little in the way stopping them, the senior-packed top seven are sure to cap off their official season with a dominating performance at the Arizona State Cross Country Championship meet on Saturday, November 4th.
GO THUNDER!!!