FLOYD COUNTY — Running multiple miles a day is now underway for members of the local cross country teams as they prepare for their 2021 season in the fall.
Travis Pittman is starting his third year as the Floydada Collegiate High School cross country coach and he has optimism about the athletes he has in training.
“We have four boys and 10 girls that are working hard for cross country. I think it could be a good season,” Pittman said.
Most teams include five members with the top four finishers at each meet counting for points. The fifth member could be used in a tie-breaker when necessary. The intentions are to have both a varsity and junior varsity teams for the Lady Winds.
“Each of the boys and girls have a solid runner to pace their respective teams,” Pittman explained. “Sophomore Reese Hinsley is a Region 1 qualifier from 2020 to lead the Whirlwinds, and sophomore Janeisi Garza competed at Regionals in cross country and the 880 in track for the Lady Winds,” he said.
Assistant coaches for Floydada include Andrew Shores, Abby Sanders and Bethany Morales.
Meanwhile, good numbers competing in cross country will hopefully help the Lockney High School program. Devin Bale is starting her third year of being the Lockney head coach, assisted by Tanae Guerrero.
“The kids have been working hard since late July. We have six boys and 12 girls that will be competing,” Bale said.
“We have three girls that will lead the way, those being senior Miranda Saranana, junior Madison Johnson and sophomore Analis Jones,” Bale noted.
“On the boys team we have all six of our runners from 2020 that are back. The Longhorn team includes seniors Nathan Cineceros and Damion Gonzales, juniors Jonathan Cinfuentes, Felix Gonales and Malaki Alvis, plus sophomore Alberto Soto-Gonzalez from a district runner-up team finish last year. Cinfuenes took second place at district in 2020, and Ciniceros qualified for the State Meet in 2019 as a sophomore,” Bale said.
These runners will work themselves up to a schedule of running approximately 20 miles a week by the start of the season. A maximum day of the week could be a seven mile run.
2021 FCHS Cross Country schedule:
August 26 – WTAMU – under the lights on Thursday
September 11 – LCU
September 14 – Lubbock Roosevelt
September 18 – Plainview at Running Water Draw Park
September 25 – Lubbock ISD at Mae Simmons Park
October 9 – LCU
District 4-2A meet with Floydada, Lockney, Ralls, Hale Center and New Deal – TBD
2021 Lockney Cross Country schedule:
August 28 – LCU Rust-Buster 2-person relays (1.5 miles each person)
September 11 – LCU Chaps at LCU Golf Course
September 18 – Plainview at Running Water Draw Park
September 25 – Lubbock ISD at Mae Simmons Park
September 29 – Silver Spur meet at Spur’s Swinson Park
District 4-2A meet with Lockney, Floydada, Ralls, Hale Center and New Deal – TBD
