The Sedona Red Rock High cross country team made school history when both the girls and the boys placed at the Winslow Invitational on Sept. 27.

The Sedona Red Rock High cross country team made school history when both the girls and the boys placed at the Winslow Invitational on Sept. 27.

Both sides finished seventh in the 17-team meet.

It was the first time both male and female teams placed at an invitational.

Glenn Sapp finished fifth while freshman Jesus Rivera placed 12th. Beatrice Sapienza finished 19th.

At the Flagstaff meet Sept. 16, Sapp and Rivera finished neck and neck, with Sapp running the 5 K course in 17:06 and Rivera at 17:07.

There were 160 male runners.

“They are running so well together. They pushed each other and stuck to the race plan,” Head Coach Joe Fuss said.

At the Mingus Invitational on Sept. 30, Rivera finished 14th at 18:42 and Sapp, despite nursing a bad hamstring, was 16th at 18:43.

The team has progressively improved since the beginning of the year, according to Fuss.

“We are building a tradition, well, trying to anyway,” Fuss said.

“We are developing runners. They are pretty coachable. [They] Listen to race plans for the most part, and they stick to it. I just am getting them to trust me, and so far they are doing well with that,” Fuss said.

Standing out on the young squad has been phenom Rivera.

“Jesus [Rivera] is coming along very well. Jesus is one of those kids that can do anything, is a good competitor, works hard and does what I ask him to do,” Fuss said.

The team that includes lowerclassmen Rivera, Rita Clancy, Chris Lloyd, Faith Goimarac, Jovany Guevera, Melina Kolberg, Iveth Guevera, Garret Debbs, Sophia Zeno and Lydia Mosley is still molding its running styles.

“I want them to learn about themselves. I ask them to do certain things to see what racing is really like and what they are capable of doing,” Fuss said.

“My girls tend to be a little more timid and I have to pump them up a little more before the race. With the guys, they tend to get a little more pumped up and start out faster,” Fuss said.

The team’s next meet will be in Orme on Thursday, Oct. 12.