Men's Cross Country Season Preview

Friday, August 25, 2023 - 11:30 am | Dylan DeVlieger

The Men's Cross Country team kicks off their 2023 season Saturday morning at their home course in the Mesa College Early Bird Open.

The men finished in fourth as a team in the national championship race a year ago, they were led by then sophomore runner Yotuel Garcia who won the individual national title.

The team this season is a mixture of youth and experience as there are seven returners and 11 newcomers this year. For assistant coach Spencer Peterson and company, that mixture could be the recipe for success in their 2023 campaign. 

"We have a pretty good mix of returners and first season athletes vying for the top 8 positions this year," said Peterson, "true freshmen Ernest Green, Samuel Green, Jorge Trujillo, Gabe Gonzales, Kai Robinson, and Austin Rueff should all be competitive for the top 5 and it will be interesting to see how this first meet plays out." 

Long term goals for the Thunderbirds are important to point out and stick to with such a long season ahead, for the team aiming high is a priority since they believe they have the pieces to be a formidable team.

"Our team goal is to have a very tight pack of up-front pack of athletes competing for a chance to qualify for the National Meet and bring back as many All Americans as possible," said Peterson "we will strive to have a time split between our #1 and #5 athletes be one minute or less.  If our #1 athlete can run a 24:45 and our #5 runner runs a 25:45, we will be a very good team this year and that is our goal! 

Click here to view the schedule for the Thunderbirds

The race will begin at 8:00 A.M. and will take place at MCC.