ITA TUTORING AT HIGH ALTITUDE CHALLENGE

Another year in which our kids from the Tutoring program take part of the local 3 race Cross Country  series at the Alamosa Parks and Recreational  Center.  The entries are free and this event gives  parents and children the opportunity  to go outside and be active. Nine of our kids represented ITA Tutoring program well. In recognition for running the three races all of them received a free T-shirt from the parks and recreational center.

 Nothing is more rewarding than heading  back to the center to do homework after a race and  hear only positive feed backs from the kids. This is an event that all of them look forward to participate.  The highlight of this year is the parents involvement.  Each parent took action and helped organize this years transportation.

Araceli is a talented girl both athletically and academically. Araceli is the oldest of 4 children. She loves collecting items. She is in charge of the ITA library. She takes leadership from time to time and helps little ones with homework.  On the last race she finish 6th with a huge personal best of 7:23.
At the end of the race her comment was " I don't know why, but my head really started hurting after I crossed the finish, that is kind of weird" 

The New ITA Generation. Once their older brothers and sisters move on theses are the kids that will be taking over at the Tutoring Center. For now, they enjoy coming to the races to cheer or walk with the other youngsters. Lupita, standing is the one leading the way as she already competed in this years races. Her best time 11:49.

Alan 8 is a handful, he has been making huge strides academically. Loves math and spelling.              

High Altitude Challenge     

September 25th, 2012            

 Distance: 1 Mile

 Results 

Boys                                          

5. Fredi Tomas 7:22 

22. Alan Flores 9:22

29. GiGi DeLuna 10:25

                                                                                     30. Carlos Gonzales 10:26

                                                                                     38. Miguel Gonzales 14:16

                                                                              39. Angel Valverde 14:16

                                                                                 40. Andres Valverde 14:16

Girls 

26. Araceli Tomas 9:41

27. Lizeth Zacarias 9:53

28. Diana Gonzales 10:20

39. Guadalupe Gonzales 11:49

Race 2
October 2nd, 2012

Boys

12. Fredi  Tomas 7:50
23. GiGi DeLuna 9:10
24. Carlos Gonzales 9:25
28. Alan Flores 9:37
37. Angel Valverde 13:50
38. Miguel Gonzales 14:12
                                                                       43. Andres Valverde 14:12

Girls

11. Aracei Tomas 7:53

36. Diana Gonzales 10:34

      45. Guadalupe Gonzales 13:56

October 9th, 2012
Race 3

Boys

13. Fredi Tomas 7:57
22. Alan Flores 8:55
36. Carlos Gonzales 10:56
44. Angel Valverde 14:25
45. Miguel Gonzales 14:29
46. Andres Valverde 14:40

Girls

6th Araceli Tomas 7:23

30. Diana Gonzales 10:30

38. Guadalupe Gonzales 11:58

   

Fredi is not only a fast miler but a fast reader too :)

So proud of Andres. He participated in every race and finished them all. Andres suffers from asthma. My Champ!

Alan in action being paced by his older brother and ITA member,  Brayan. Flores. Alan  Broke the 9 minute barrier by running 8:55 in the last mile event.

They love it when they get new material. 

Miguel loves to read. 

Back to office to do some homework.

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.