Palisade Bulldogs Cross Country team race in Palisade.

Breathing, pacing, and striding. On Saturday, this was all the cross country team could think about as they raced in the warm morning. “How do I get enough air without over-inhaling? How do I run fast but not too fast?” and lastly, “how do I fix my shin splints?” These are all questions each runner on the team asks daily. As the Bulldogs raced on their home turf, these questions were answered in the most rewarding ways. Each runner did great with multiple PR’s (personal records) being made. Zenon Reece, a senior, won first place in the varsity boys race. His fellow Bulldogs cheered for him as he received his medal, a smile on his face. Multiple teams competed including Fruita, Central, Rifle, Caprock Academy, and Grand Junction. The results are as follows for our Bulldogs:

Boys JV

Dakota Hatcher – 23.30.37

Connor Moseley – 23.50.55

Boys Varsity

Zenon Reece – 17.11.29

Quintin Mottor – 19.28.43

Dawson David – 20.10.56

Keegan Seymour – 20.28.87

Brady Russell – 22.16.97

Will Neese – 22.26.03

Girls JV

Sophia Dery – 24.35.10

Mikaya Savoni – 26.41.96

Girls Varsity

Aspen Johnson – 22.57.91

Amy Talbott – 23.23.74

Jessica Mosby – 24.00.48

Miranda Pike – 25.26.53

Abby Price – 25.47.59

Ema Babnic – 26.07.10

Brielle Sorensen – 26.50.82

Not only were PRs made at this meet but also great experiences. Aspen Johnson, a Freshman, says, “the race was fun and challenging, but mostly fun.” She’s excited to see how the rest of the season goes. Aspen went to Holy Family and loves Palisade. She almost went to Grand Junction High School so she’s happy she ended up here. Along with running, she also plays soccer, track, and volleyball. She has been running 5k’s since she was in kindergarten, and it definitely shows with her running. Her goal for this season is to keep improving and maybe even break 20 minutes.