Abby cross country gets first podium finish

The Abbotsford Falcons have started to find their footing over the last several weeks. There were certainly going to be some growing pains early, with none of the members having run cross country before this fall, but now, the Falcons seem right at home on the course. They claimed their first top three finish as a team last week at Spencer and, having just passed the halfway point in their schedule, there is some time for reflection on just how far they’ve come in such a short time.

“I’m really happy with how things have gone so far,” head coach Dillon Novak said. “With a team that was brand new to this type of distance running and meets, they have exceeded my expectations. I can tell some of them are not content with their times and would like to get faster still, which is great to see this far into the season.”

While they still are looking to improve, what Abbotsford’s runners have already accomplished is impressive. They have shaved minutes off their 30-plus minute times at the beginning of the season, which showcases their rapid improvement.

Leading the way for Abbotsford are sophomore Azul Diaz and junior Iris Cruz.

“Azul and Iris have really stepped up and solidified themselves as the top two runners on the team,” Novak said. “I know I can always push those two during hard workouts and the results speak for themselves, as those two have gotten PR’s at every meet so far since the beginning.”

And while Diaz and Cruz are the team’s front runners, everyone on the team appears motivated to continue to improve and contribute as the season progresses. Staying healthy and building on their progress so far are their main goals as they head into the end of September and the beginning of October.

“It’s great to see them all still improving and getting better,” Novak added. “We’ve got a couple of kids that are getting a little hurt but thankfully nothing serious so far. I love to see the overall enjoyment from everyone at meets and when people do well.”

Edgar Invitational

Abbotsford made the trip to Edgar Tuesday afternoon to take on athletes from nine other schools. The Falcons took fourth place as a team, scoring 101 points. Host Edgar took first, ending the evening with 46 points, followed by second place Pioneer Westfield with 47 points and third place Loyal/ Greenwood with 61 points.

Diaz took eighth overall in the race, continuing to set new personal bests with each race. She finished with a time of 23:25.7.

Cruz came in four runners later, finishing in 12th place overall and narrowly missing out on her PR with a time of 24:27.4 Brissa Diaz placed third for the Falcons, coming in with a time of 26:55.7, which was good for 31st place. Reese Molitor was Abbotsford’s fourth runner, completing the course in 28:55.5 and earning herself 41st place.

The trio of Azalea Atkinson, Angie Chavez and Asia Atkinson finished 47th, 48th and 49th and recorded times of 30:06.3, 30:46.1 and 30:50.6 respectively.

Spencer Invitational

The Falcons had their first podium finish as a team at the Spencer Invitational held at Frey Field on September 22. They took third out of nine participating schools, ending with 110 points, putting them behind Colby’s 45 and Chequamegon’s 57. Marshfield was also at the meet but did not factor into the scoring. Azul Diaz and Cruz led the way for the Falcons, coming in with times of 23:28.9 and 24:25.1. The pair took 22nd and 34th respectively. Molitor came in next for Abbotsford, finishing in 27:16.1 and claiming 52nd place.

Brissa Diaz, who was competing in her first meet of the season, was Molitor’s running mate for much of the race and finished right behind her in 53rd. Her final time was 27:24.0. Chavez also ran in her first competition for the Falcons and came in with a time of 28:25.8, giving her 59th place.

Between the pair of first time runners was Ana Flores, who ran with Chavez and placed 58th with a time of 28:23.4. Asia and Azalea Atkinson finished 63rd and 64th, coming in with times of 29:00.4 and 29:19.0.

“The team has really come together the last couple weeks it feels like,” Novak said afterwards. “I’m just hoping we can stay positive and healthy and are able to finish the last couple meets of the season strong like I know we can.”

Abbotsford heads to Athens next, making the trip to the Blue Jays’ home meet on Thursday. The meet is set to begin at 4:00 p.m.