Both the girls and boys cross country teams finished in second place at the Red Flash Invitational on Saturday. 

The boys team captain, Senior Alex Castaneda, individually secured second place as well. 

“I feel I could’ve won. I just didn’t know what the other team was trying to do. I thought they were trying to draw me out, but it’s just a learning experience,” Castaneda said. 

While Castaneda began the season rough with a knee injury, he plans to make it in the top five for states. Overall, Castaneda feels that the season has been going pretty well for both teams.

“I feel like our team’s been doing really well. It’s the best our team has done staying together,” Castaneda said. 

Strategy is something that he feels everyone on the boys team could work on.

Senior Anna Plunkett said the girls team also did well. Sophomore Cheyanne Trout led the Highlanders with a third-place individual finish.

This past week’s practice has been pretty intense for the cross-country teams. 

“Our coach is trying to build us up for our peak time, which is in these next couple of weeks,” Plunkett said.

Having both teams earn second-place finishes felt good, Plunkett said.

“I think we all were a little mentally beat before we got there, but when scores were being announced, we realized all of our hard work really paid off,” Plunkett said