Whether they’re in-season or in the offseason, runners do what they do, run. Members of the Middletown High School cross country team, champions of the North Central League I, were hard at work Tuesday evening at the high school track where, after warmups, they did a series of speed workouts. Attending were (from left) Nicole Pyzer, Erica Kinsel, Javier Perez, Isaac Rascon and Isaiah Diaz. The speed workouts require sprinting 100 meters, resting, sprinting 150 meters, walking 50 meters, then finishing with a 200-meter sprint. The runners repeated this four times. While Lake County is locked in a triple-digit heat wave and also receiving some smoke from nearby fires in Napa County, Rascon, a senior, said, “It was pretty hot but we’ve been running in the heat all summer.” The smoke also wasn’t a factor, at least not on Tuesday, according to Rascon. “It wasn’t that bad because the wind was going away from us.” Kinsel, also a senior, said some team members are working out on their own because of COVID-19 concerns. The official start of the cross country season has been delayed until Dec. 14 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but you can bet the Mustangs and new coach Taylor Tiraterra will be ready whenever the season does begin. “I had him as a teacher last year and he was my favorite,” Rascon said of Tiraterra. (Photos by Bob Minenna)
