Late-forming Page XC team earns state invite

CHINLE

Despite 2020 being an unprecedented year for sports, Page High’s cross-country boys’ team and two of their girls are on their way to Phoenix today to participate in the state cross-country meet.

The team ran only a few races together due to most athletic events being canceled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For a time, they were no scheduled events for the team, who still wanted to run. The team went as far as to form a club, the Running Antelope Club, to run together at this year’s Nike Desert Twilight run. It wasn’t until recently that the team was allowed to form. Being so late in the season, it was astounding to coach Theo Martin that there was a possibility that they could go to state.

“I was really surprised,” Martin said. “I had already figured we weren’t going to go [to state], then our AD called us up on Oct. 20, I think, and told us we can start practicing on the 21st.”

One of the team’s challenges is not training together. They usually didn’t see one another until the day of their race since many of the athletes are spread out across the state following the closure of Page High’s campus.

“It was really surprising, and then it took a while to get all the kids back together too. Like I said, they’re all over. They’re doing online schools from Phoenix, from Monument Valley, from pretty much everywhere you could think of. There were no buses coming for them to take them to practice, so it was all parent-driven to get them here. So yeah, it’s a real surprise, but we’re super happy to have the opportunity to go.”

Their most recent race was last week at the AIA Sectionals Rose Mofford in Phoenix. The team had participated in the 5,000 Meters Division III North race for both boys and girls.

“I think we did pretty well for the amount of time we had to prep for it. It was just a matter of time,” Martin said.

The boy’s team came in second overall with 49 points, just one point behind Snowflake’s first-place. Page senior, Trent Holiday, was the first finisher at 16:06:0.

“To be honest, the race was good, it felt nice to be running again against fellow high schoolers, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Holiday said. “And my team and I, we did pretty good coming back and knowing that everybody kind of forgot about us for a bit, but it’s just incredible. No words can express it, of us running again.”

Despite this season being turbulent, it hasn’t dampened Holiday’s belief that his team is more than ready for the upcoming State Race.

“We didn’t do as great as we planned to do,” Holiday said, reffering to sectionals. “But I know everybody did their best and gave it a hundred percent. Coming to results and losing it by two points is not the end of the world or anything. It’s not the end of us. This next race that is coming up, we know that we’ll come back stronger, and we’re going to be prepared, and this time Page runners are not going to lose.”

Jade Reid was the first runner from the girls’ team, who had four participants running at the race, to finish in 3rd place at 20:21:1. She, and the second Page Runner, Sofia Chambers, who placed 18th, are the only two girls who will go on to State.

“Our number one girl Jade Reid ran really well. She led the race through pretty close to (the) mile marker, and then some girls passed her, but she stuck close on them,” Martin said. “She ran after it, she went out in the lead and held on until the mile marker where she got tucked in with the other two girls who ended up winning the race. She ran really well.”

Although Reid is a freshman, she is showing promise of becoming one of Page’s best runners as she PR at the race.

“I feel I did pretty good,” Reid said when asked about the race. “I say our performance was a ten, because we all did fantastic.”

The team is reportedly excited to run at State and is hoping to finish strong during this chaotic time in the world of sports. The team is determined to do its best and defend their title of state champions. The heat was unexpected and troublesome at the last race, but Martin is certain they’ll be prepared for it at state.

“There should be a pretty good team battle,” Martin predicts. “Like I said, because we have the handicap of not racing all year and not being able to train together until the last two weeks, it’s definitely going to be a dog fight at the next meet for the state championship. So yeah, there’s a bunch of teams in it and just three teams who can win that state championship.”

Martin believes that the teams they’ll be looking out for are Prescott High, Snowflake High, and Salpointe Catholic High.

“I guess there are four teams that are in the mix to win the State Championship,” Martin said. “But these boys have done it before. So that’s what they expect out of themselves is a comeback and to defend their title. This will be a great opportunity to see what we got in with three weeks’ worth of training.”

Reid is looking forward to the race and is hoping to PR again at State.

“I haven’t been running as many races as I have in the past few years,” Reid said. “But at least we got a season. I’ve just been trying to keep going with everything that I can do, trying to find an open race and stuff like that. I’ve been running half marathons too. I’m just going to try my best and put it all in God’s hands.”

Likewise, Holiday is just as grateful to run this last season in his senior year. Along with the team’s practices, he will also be training at his grandparent’s sheep camp, where he always trained for his runs. The place where he said it all started for him.

“It was the best news we heard all season, knowing we had another chance to defend our title,” Holiday said. “I hope everyone stays safe out there. Remember to keep studying and working hard for your families back at home. Thank you for those who put their lives at risk to save others during this pandemic.”

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