RHMS cross country team shines at Districts
RHMS Nighthawks Trevor Fearon, Carter Brand, Caleb Jaramillo, Anthony DiMuria and Derek Fearon at the completion of the Douglas County Cross Country District Championships. Fearon, Brand, Jaramillo and Fearon are part of the varsity team that won their division. (Not pictured: Jack Hibbett, Wesley Beckham and Carson Timmons).
By Lynne Marsala Basche; photo courtesy of Mira Brand
The Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) cross country team had an impressive showing at the Douglas County Cross Country District Championships at Salisbury Park in Parker on September 12. The RHMS Nighthawks soared over the finish line to capture the second overall placement, as well as individual and team wins.
All Douglas County middle schools sent a team to Districts, and approximately 80 RHMS runners participated in the competition. Events included two varsity races and two open runs. Varsity races included the seven best-timed runners on a team based on gender and grade. The open runs consisted of meets for both seventh and eighth grade runners, and all runners could represent their team. (Because RHMS includes sixth graders, they ran with the seventh graders.) Each run was 1.5 miles.
The boys varsity team, consisting of Wesley Beckham, Carter Brand, Derek Fearon, Trevor Fearon, Jack Hibbett, Caleb Jaramillo and Carson Timmons won their division. Emily Glynn took first overall in the seventh grade girls varsity race.
Sharon Majetich, the Nighthawks cross country and track coach, said, “At the beginning of the season, our goal was simple … make sure practices were challenging enough to train the kids for the races, but create activities that were fun and that helped the athletes maintain a love of running. The fact that the team won five of their six regular meets and came in second overall at Districts is an amazing bonus and proof of how hard the kids worked this season.”
RHMS runners were so intent on fostering their desire to keep the season going that they created a new running club at school. The club meets once a week and is preparing for the State Middle School Cross Country meet in October. Run, Nighthawks, run!
