The Camp Verde High School cross-country team is improving times and getting bigger as the 2012 season progresses.
The Cowboys are a relatively young team. At the beginning of the season, coaches Mike O’Callaghan and Matt Malloy hoped to build more interest at the high school to get more runners interested in joining.
The team started with 15 to 20 runners, but within the last week, at least four girls and two boys joined.
“There was this growth spurt, which was great for the team,” Malloy said. “We can now compete as a complete team on the girls’ side. And the boys got a couple of excellent additions that will help the team a lot. They are making the older kids run faster.”
One of those boys is Louis Picasso-Valdez, who is a phenomenal runner as a freshman. He ran the Four Corners Invitational at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff on Sept. 15 in 19 minutes 52 seconds. Running that race under 20 minutes is a major feat for the Camp Verde team.
“I wanted to put myself in something that I could make it to the top and make my parents proud,” Picasso-Valdez said. “I am very excited [to join the team]. I have met a lot of good people and coaches so far.”
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Sept. 26, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
