The Dream Team

 As a proud mentor, supporter, and auntie I have to brag about what I can consider the best Cross Country teams in the history of Ortega Middle School. My nephew and other former ITA members  who have been involved with in the arena are now members of these two amazing teams.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to Gunisson, Colorado to witness history on the making. Many of the girls and boys I worked with last summer during the Run With US! program are now part of these teams and let me tell you there is nothing more exciting that seeing this kids compete and be in the athletic arena.What makes these teams special is the diversity in them. Their friendships and how all of them care for each-other. As an spectator and huge supporter, I can clearly see how proud they are to be  representing their school, their culture, their backgrounds and themselves.

This year the boys made history last week by perfect scoring in Buena Vista and this weekend they kept their winning streak by winning in Salida with only 12 points.

Behind a great team, there are also great stories and Ortega Middle School kids have great stories to tell. Some have no shoes to compete in, so this is where people like me,  mentors and supporter, come in. I was very happy to be able to match one of the runners with an Adamas State Runner who was able to donate a pair of used shoes. The smile and happiness seeing in the kids that were able to get shoes was priceless.

After the Salida meet I took my nephew, Oscar and Miguel with me for breakfast, a tour of the city and  we were able to visit on our 2 hour drive back home. The stories I've heard and the struggles some of these youngsters have already overcome at this early age are truly inspiring.
Im glad they are on the right path, surrounded by amazing Coaches and unbelievable supporters.
With already four wins under their belts and already a pecfect score  in their resumes, all I could say is these kids really came together at the perfect time, in the perfect place and are surronded with the perfect people. A Dream Team many only wish they could be part of. To all OMS athletes and  Coaches, CONGRATS!!!

What is Cross Country?

Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically 4–12 kilometres (2.5–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road. It is both an individual and a team sport, runners are judged on individual times and a points scoring method for teams. Both men and women of all ages compete in cross country, which usually takes place during autumn and winter, and can include weather conditions of rain, sleet, snow or hail, and a wide range of temperatures.

 Scoring
Scores are determined by summing the top four or five individual finishing places on each team.  Points are awarded to the individual runners of eligible teams, equal to the position in which they cross the finish line (first place gets 1 point, second place gets 2 points, etc.). The points for these runners are summed, and the low score wins. Individual athletes, and athletes from incomplete teams are excluded from scoring. Ties can be broken in several ways. In high school competition, ties are resolved in favor of the team whose next non-scoring member finishes first. In U.S. college competition, ties are not resolved.^[4]
The lowest possible score in a five-to-score match is 15 (1+2+3+4+5), achieved by a team's runners finishing in each of the top five positions. If there is a single opposing team then they would have a score of 40 (6+7+8+9+10), which can be considered a "sweep" for the winning team. In some competitions a team's sixth and seventh runner are scored in the overall field and are known as "pushers" or "displacers" as their place can count ahead of other runners.