FORT BENNING, Ga., (Nov. 19, 2014) -- Columbus High School's girls varsity cross-country team seemed to be right on track this year with consistency during their Aug. 23-Nov. 8.
Amongst the team were military affiliated children who helped contribute to the team and managed to outdo themselves while fluctuating within the top five placements.
For meets, the team traveled locally and at a distance to places such as Fairburn, Georgia, Smiths Station, Alabama, and Albany, Georgia, competing mostly against schools in the Muscogee County district, said Danielle McCoy, head coach.
Assistant coach Russell Jones said the "courses were roughly 3.1 miles" with the exception of one being 1.88 miles.
McCoy said the girls team took four wins out of 12 total meets to include the City and Region Championships, held at Kinnett Stadium, and placed eighth at the Georgia High School Association State meet. The boys team joined the tier with the girls by placing second in City and first in Region.
Senior Raja Gonzalez, daughter of Giovanna and Spc. Eric Gonzalez, Warrior Training Battalion, explained the concept behind the calculations for City.
"The first individual runner from the boy and from the girls races are City Champions," she said. "As a team, they base who wins the meet off of your first five runners (times and) they average (out) that score. Whoever has the lowest score, they win."
Eric Gonzalez said Raja Gonzalez took the individual win for City with a time of 20 minutes and 58 seconds, resurrecting her title of City Champion from 2012.
McCoy said she wanted to get the title back.
Raja Gonzalez said throughout the season underclassmen teammates were winning, so as a senior she felt she needed to show leadership and that's what pushed her this season.
"I just had to do that for myself," she said.
As for the title in 2013, Raja Gonzalez said a myriad of factors took part in not winning the title that year, but it was mainly her struggle with bronchitis.
Overall, she said, the courses were harder and the competition was tougher this year.
Junior Alina Salgado, daughter of Lynn and Lt. Col. Ivan Salgado, Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, placed first amongst her teammates in nine of the meets, said Jones.
McCoy said she won the Region Championship and Jones added her finishing time was 20:15.
"She has a drive at the end where you will see a lot of people dying," McCoy said. "She was able to kick it up another notch and just dig in and give it all she had."
When asked why she didn't conquer the City Championship title too, Alina Salgado said she had a "101 degree fever the night before," so she probably shouldn't have been running.
She finished with a time of 21:10 putting her in second place, said Jones.
Alina Salgado revealed her secret when it comes to competing.
"In training I don't push 100 percent, so I feel like I work to give it all in the race," she said. "I focus on cross-country during the season so I'm not worried about other things so much. The actual running itself is not always that fun, you might say, (but) finishing a race is very rewarding."
McCoy said the team shined in working together this season.
"When you are able to run as a pack that helps out so much on the scoring end of your meets," she said.
McCoy said the team will have a banquet Dec. 6.
"(The team was asked) to nominate one male and one female runner who they believe exhibits true dedication, commitment and leadership," she said.
This award will be given to Raja Gonzalez and the most valuable player award will be given to Alina Salgado, McCoy said.
Both Raja Gonzalez and Alina Salgado agreed the competition was within their team this year.
Other military affiliated teammates who were alongside them were senior Connor Gilpatrick, junior Morgan Stockdill, and freshmen Brittney Sims and Alex Salgado.
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