Featuring one of the largest teams in years, Josh Kurz’s Pagosa Springs High School Pirate cross-country teams once again have their sights set on regionals this year.
This year’s team is currently sitting at 28 runners, 17 boys and 11 girls. Of the 17 boys on the team eight are freshmen. There are also three freshmen on the girls side.
Kurz expressed he is excited about the talent on the boys’ side. Ryland Ash, a sophomore, was the team’s only runner to qualify for state last year, where he finished as the top freshman in the field.
Ash will be a front-runner for the boys along with Miles Dempster, the coach indicated. Dempster is a freshman and had a very strong middle school cross-country career.
Kurz emphasized that it has been awhile since the team had a true frontrunner that would help push the rest of the team.
Isaac Hanto and Stetson Osborn are the two senior boys who will serve as captains for this year’s team.
“It’s going to be tough to make the varsity team this year because we’ve got such great depth, which is going to help us on the boys’ side,” said Kurz. “We usually try to qualify for state. I always want to take as many kids to state as possible.”
The top four teams in each region advance to state. Pagosa Springs’ region is full of schools with legacy running communities such as Gunnison and Alamosa, but Kurz noted he believes this year’s team has the talent.
On the girls’ side, returners Madi Stretton, senior, and Lily DeClark, sophomore, headline a group that boasts more depth than last year.
While the girls team isn’t as strong or as large as the boys team, Kurz explained he believes that they have an opportunity to make it to state.
This year Pagosa Springs will host the regional meet.
“About every decade or so, we get the opportunity to host a regional race,” said Kurz. “And so that’s something that we’re taking on this year. So, it’ll be great to have a home field advantage and a home crowd.”
Ahead of their first meet, the team has been practicing all summer. Last year Kurz challenged his runners to run 150 miles throughout the 10 weeks of summer, averaging about 15 miles a week. This year he challenged the kids to do 200 miles.
Official practices started on Aug. 10, after Kurz and kids got back from the 23rd annual Scott Anderson Training Camp at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
Kurz noted he is excited for the start of the season on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Bayfield XC Invitational.
Most of all though, Kurz explained he is excited so many kids are choosing to challenge themselves and push themselves to accomplish their goals.
“So, it’s the hardest things that we push through that [are the] things we’re most proud of,” Kurz said. “And so we’re trying to push that philosophy, and hopefully that’ll transfer into their lives as adults. That’s our goal, our overarching goal.”
Schedule
The Pirates will open their season at the Bayfield XC Invitational in Bayfield on Saturday, Aug. 22.
On Sept. 12, the Pirates will be back in action at the 33rd Jo I. Vigil Open High School meet in Alamosa.
The Pirates will then participate in the Coronado Cougar Classic in Colorado Springs on Sept. 19.
Their next meet will be their home meet, the McGinn Memorial Cross Country meet on Sept. 26.
On Oct. 3, the Pirates will travel to Salida for the Salida High Mountain Desert Twilight.
The Intermountain League XC Meet will be held on Oct. 8 in Durango.
The Pirates will head to Monte Vista for the Eric Wolff Invitational on Oct. 16.
The final meet of the year before state will be Colorado 3A Region 2, meet which the Pirates will host on Oct. 22.
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