Yuma Catholic Cross Country takes strides towards state championship

After being runner-ups last year, the Shamrocks hope to make a run for the state championship

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - It's no secret running in the heat is brutal.

That's what Yuma Catholic Cross Country does daily to prepare for a return to the state championship.

"You know you can run in the heat, you know you can run anywhere," said Shamrocks Head Cross Country Coach Sister Mary Teresa Bettag.

She works her runners hard so they are mentally tough to not only handle the heat, but run a fast enough pace to compete.

Having a strong mentality is easier said than done though, especially with a younger group filling out the roster.

Luckily for the Rocks, state champion competitor Luke Lee isn't worried about the young bucks coming in.

"I feel like there's a lot of fast freshmen, a lot of a lot of new people. We could actually go to state as a team this year instead of just an individual," Lee said.

Angelina Arnn says it's nice having the underclassmen join YC Cross Country because of the relationships she can build.

"Last year we only had like 14 runners," Arnn said. "Now we have a little over 20 now, so it's just nice to be able to build those relationships because that's really, it's mainly about the team in the sport."

Whether younger or older, two-year captain Ricardo Rosales says expectations are high.

"Expect a lot. I mean, we got some new guys and we have some guys returning, and we have guys like me that know we want to win state and know we do have the team and ability to win state," Rosales said. "In past years, people haven't been looking at us, but I think this is the year to look at us."

The runners know how to get there, quoting a strong mentality as one of the most important elements to running.

"When you run, you're thinking about the heat, the pain you're feeling when you're running, so it's just trying to focus on something else instead," Arnn said. "I try to focus on family knowing that I'm doing this for the team and not just myself. "

Even though the individual accolades are nice, cross country is still a team oriented sport, and the Shamrocks understand that with the ultimate goal of returning back to state as a team.

For now, Yuma Catholic heads to Mesa this weekend for the Nike Desert Twilight meet, where more than 250 high school teams from across the country will race under the Desert Stars.