Dover gets dose of cross country
DOVER’S Kyler Williams, left, runs alongside Darlington’s Leo Willis in the middle school boys race at Watonga. Willis went on to win the meet while Williams placed fifth out of 125 runners. [KT&FP Staff Photo]
Some Dover athletes got their first taste of cross country last Saturday.
New cross country coach Dakoda Hart took his Longhorns to the Watonga Cross Country Invitational for their initial meet of the season.
One Dover runner competed in the high school boys race, eight in the middle school boys and three in the middle school girls.
The middle school boys team produced a pair of medalists as Kyler Williams was fifth overall and A.J. Avila 12th out of 125 total runners.
The top-30 medal in each race.
“Both of them really dug deep to earn themselves medals,” said Hart, a Kingfisher High School graduate in his first year at Dover.
Williams and Avila helped Dover to an eighthplace finish in the team standings. The Longhorns had 182 team points.
Jessy Price was 82nd in the high school boys race and the middle school girls were led by Dulce Gonzalez, who was 45th. “I was so proud of all the kids. They all gave it their best efforts and really pushed themselves to run good times,” Hart said. “All them exceeded my expectations.”
This despite limited practice early in the season.
“Most of our kids are multi-sport athletes and many of my kids play baseball or softball along with cross country,” Hart said. “Between them having games during the week and having other practices, it has been a little diffi cult for them to be able to run as much as they would like.”
Hart said there’s been an adjustment period, one that is becoming smoother.
“As we have gotten started into the year, we have been finding different ways to work around it for them to be able to get their miles in for the week.”
Dover will be among the teams competing Saturday at the Kingfisher Cross Country Invitational.