It’s no secret that Palisade’s Cross Country team is competitive, and has improved a massive amount in the last couple years. With the combination of focus, hard work, and consistency, the Bulldog XC team was able to compete at a huge meet in the Front Range: St. Vrain. This meet consists of pro athletes and even some future Olympians.
This exclusive invitational included some of the nation’s most competitive teams including Niwot, which infamously won Nike Nationals in 2024. Even though the race was located over 1,500ft higher than Grand Junction, this posed no problem for the Bulldogs. Hank DeFord, a Senior, placed 14th out of 300 boys on Varsity, marking a huge victory for Palisade.
“I went into this race so excited because it’s not everyday that we get to go travel to the Front Range and compete against the best athletes in the nation,” comments Molly Pietroski, the head coach of the Palisade Cross Country Team. “I went in just fully confident in my athletes and was blown away with how well they did today. I’m almost speechless, and so very, very, very proud.” When asked about how the Palisade team has improved in the last couple years, Pietroski responded, “When I started coaching the team four years ago, I remember there were 12 kids on it and ten regularly showed up to race. Seeing where we are now with almost 25 kids and competing in some of the biggest meets in the state, it’s amazing. I mean, it’s hard to find the right words … Every year I’m like, it’s amazing how much we’ve grown and I can’t wait to keep seeing where this team goes. Big things are coming.”
