It was cold and drizzly on September 30 at the Elks Rodeo Grounds in Santa Maria California. In a hard fought battle through mud, rain, and sand PRHS placed 3 out of 7 teams for boys Mountain League varsity and 4 for girls Mountain League varsity.
16 teams gathered for the mid-season meet, one of two races that determine a schools’ division in Mountain League or the Ocean League. The Paso women’s side only had seven runners participate due to a lack of team size; six of which ran varsity, but they still managed to get fourth. The men’s team has had a large number of new runners this year making it a younger team getting better by the day.“We worked together very well and we’re able to stay together and challenge each other, “ said junior Kylie Troy about the women’s team performance.
The weather was less than ideal but the atmosphere was energetic from the crowd. Runners lined up on the tight start line looking right down the barrel of the alley-like stretch packed shoulder to shoulder with the team tents leaving a small gap for the oncoming race to get through. The command is given and the stampede of runners blows through the first 200 meters running within inches of the crowd cheering them on before they run off into distant fields. Over the next three miles runners faced rolling hills and puddles on the dirt course with short sections in sand.
“The rain was pouring in my eyes and it was so much fun,” said Troy
For the men Tyler Daillak (11) led the race from the gun and finished 1 in a time of 15:03, followed by Brian Arndt (10) finishing 3in 15:28, then Bishop Morsette (11), 13 in 16:04. The fourth scoring runner was Aiden Gibson (12) finishing 32 in 17:05 who just barely beat his teammate Wade Willis (12) who finished 33 in 17:08.
Willis raced so hard that his legs gave out just feet before the finish line. He fell and couldn’t get up, so he had to crawl over the line.
On the women’s side the pack was tight. Kalani Gaviola (12) slipped into the top ten finishing 9 in a time of 19:58. Next to the finish was Pippin Came (10) finishing 16 in 20:50 followed shortly after by Jordan Hammond (11) placing 23 in a time of 21:08. Troy finished 25 only eight seconds later in a time of 21:16. The final scoring girl was Kinleigh Morud (9) in a time of 21:19 in 26 place.
On Nov. 4,2023 they will come back to the Elks Rodeo Ground to race again in league finals hoping to cement a position in the top three.
