The Rocklin High School boys varsity cross country team came in third in the 5k at the Josh Ruff Memorial Invite last Saturday. Their success on the hilly terrain bodes well for their chances of making it to state because the section meet will be on the same course, coach Justin Ferraro said.
“I thought it went really well,” he said. “We get to learn the course, and it’s really nice for the kids to be able to get that exposure.”
The team ran Thunder Hill to prepare for the course. Mr. Ferraro said that while his runners may not have enjoyed the training, “it’s paying dividends right now.” Other teams struggled on the hills, but Rocklin runners “just keep on going.”
The meet was held at the Willow Hills Reservoir Regional Park in Folsom. The course was located near a pond and the trail was mainly on dirt, making it incredibly dusty for the runners.
There were strong performances from runners on both the boys and girls teams. Senior Sam Vellutini finished in eighth place with a time of 16:57 and junior Allie Harman finished in 12th with a time of 20:28.
“This race was a good starter,” Harman said. “I’m excited to race this course later as a team.”
She said that in addition to her own individual goals, she hopes for the entire team to qualify for sections.
Vellutini said the course was the hardest the team has had run this season.
Varsity runner Anderson Wang said, “There were a few points I was going to slow down, but then I saw my teammates up there. I was like, I gotta get to them. That really kept me going.”
Several runners said they hope to continue to improve their times over the next two months so that they can make it to state for the first time in years. Mr. Ferraro said that the team is on a trajectory to meet this goal. The team’s upcoming league meets will give a clearer picture how Rocklin stacks up against some of the best in the state.
“It’s really a testament to the effort and time that these kids have put in to show that they’re not just dedicated for just themselves, but they’re here to support each other,” Mr. Ferraro said. “They want to see the team succeed, not just individually succeed, which is really difficult to see in a lot of athletics.”
