Dos Pueblos cross country turned in a solid performance at the Mt. SAC Invitational on Saturday, with the girls team placing seventh of 11 schools and the boys squad coming in 11th of 19 teams.
Girls
Freshman Emilie Joulie-Mares led the Chargers with a 10th-place individual finish to become the team’s lone medal winner.
Joulie-Mares was followed by teammates Abigail Chou (16th), Parker Andelman (46th), Avery Butler (49th), Iyla Herrick (55th), Mitzi Myers (58th) and Gwen Shea (80th).
“It was so exciting to see us racing the way we train, side by side, taking on the challenges together,” Dos Pueblos coach David Jackson said. “They got out strong, and settled in for a seventh-place finish.”
Boys
The boys team also had a freshman leading the pack as Dane Kosek placed 27th with his time of 17:33.
The rest of the Charger racers were Tristan Marston (51st), Declan Marston (57th), Sky Beard-Armbruster (78th), Adrian Rubio (81st), Quentin Holland (95th) and Charles Contakes (104th).
“For mostly everybody, it takes a long time for it to really pay off in cross country,” Jackson said. “When November arrives, they’ll be ready to run at our best. Today was about getting experience on the new course and investing in our future.
“These students are learning how to compete in big races, and I’m seeing them work together, communicate, and give it their all.”
Dos Pueblos will be back in action on Wednesday in the Santa Barbara County Championship at River Park in Lompoc.
The Charger girls are the three-time defending county champions while Eamon Gordon will look to make it three first-place finishes in a row.