This past Saturday, both the boys and girls cross country team raced in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the Chile Pepper Festival. Both teams took their top 23 runners to compete in the varsity open division and the elite varsity division.

“I felt really great about the experience, the atmosphere is always very fun,” senior Peyton Benson said. “I ran my fastest time yet, scored well, and I got to run with my sister, Camryn Benson, which was really fun.”

There were around 83 girls and 110 boys teams competing in the meet.

“This trip is fun for the team, but it also allows us to see some competition outside of Texas and race on a collegiate course,” head girls coach Carly Littlefield said.“We are also able to get a good gauge of where we are right now after the race.”

The girls team won the varsity open division along with the elite varsity or also known as the “el caliente” division. The boys team got third in the elite varsity division.

“We worked together and we all did our part, which definitely paid off for us,” sophomore Sophie Brooks said. “It was a large meet with many teams from all over, and I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group of girls.”

Both the girls and boys teams used this meet as an opportunity to challenge themselves, compete with each other, and race their future competition in championship season.
“It wasn’t my best race, but I always gave my best effort, and I still managed to do well,” junior Devin Muiana said. “It was exhilarating, and I can’t wait for the opportunity to compete in the meet next year. I had the opportunity to run against one of the top runners in Texas: Aleksandr Acuna.”

Both teams have been working hard this season, they have been attending early morning training and late evening runs since the summer in order to increase their performances for the state meet. Chile Pepper was an opportunity for the runners to evaluate their improvements over the season.

“I took first place in my division and ran the best that I could, so I feel very proud and happy with how it went,” Brooks said. “We support, push, and care for each other, and we want the best for the team.”

Both of the team’s admirable performances reflected their hard work throughout the season, as many runners were able to place high in their respective divisions. These results were reflective of the team’s overall goals for the meet and the season.

“Our goal was to win both divisions and do so with a large margin,” Littlefield said.“We didn’t have our best day, but we were still able to dominate the field. That is a good sign as we head into our championship season.”

This meet was a precursor to the state meet, which meant that there were high expectations for the teams performance and the traveling meet experience itself. Both teams’ district meet is next Tuesday, Oct. 10.

“They have to prepare and plan ahead and once we get to the State meet, we know how to handle our meals, routines, and be prepared in advance for things that could go wrong,” Littlefield said.