Seniors Gavin Weinstein and Dylan Wiley continued their cross-country season successes with two top-15 finishes at the Saltillo Invitational at Saltillo High School on Sept. 16.
Weinstein ran an 18:01.20 5K, securing eighth place. Close behind, Wiley ran at 18:26.30, taking 15th place.
“While I didn’t [set a personal record], I stayed in the threshold that made me feel like I was at least better than I was last year,” Wiley said. “Overall, I enjoy that more than anything because at the end of the day, this is for fun. I’m not taking this so competitively; I just love to feel the wind as I run.”
Wiley said the terrain at Saltillo was more challenging to run than the one at the Mooreville meet.
“Compared to Mooreville, where it was just straight flat land on a sod farm, I felt the terrain here, including the hills and the road … made it a lot more difficult,” Wiley said. “There were parts of the terrain where we went into the forest, and it was completely shaded, and I felt like I started to pick up speed and [stayed at] the beginning of the pack. At other parts of the race, I didn’t feel so much of that, and I began to feel like I was slipping a bit.”
Weinstein also said the race was difficult but he’s still proud of his time and his team.
“It was hot, and I cramped up around mile 2, but even having a tough race I still ran around my fastest time from last year, which shows how far I’ve come,” Weinstein said. “As a team, I am really proud of everyone who showed up. I think the team is showing great progress, and I am excited for more races to come.”
Wiley said the team has strengthened since the beginning of the season and will continue to strive toward its full potential.
“I would say performance-wise, I think we were still strong as a team versus the beginning of the season,” Wiley said. “ I see a lot of potential; I see a lot of growth in our team as a whole. That’s what I love about cross-country: the teamwork, the building and the exercises we do. [These aspects] prepare us for those moments where we really have to dig deep…We have the potential to build a strong team with an incredible foundation.”
The MSMS cross-country team competes next at Starkville High School on Oct. 9.
