Coronado boys cross country team seeking state title with pair of best friends leading the way
Oliver Horton and Xzavier Campos began their running journeys together 10 years ago on the Kokopelli Racing Team and hope to end their last season together with a state championship trophy.
Just as they did in elementary school, the two run in sync in practice and push each other on the race course. While nationally ranked Oliver Horton, a junior, is usually first across the line, his friend and teammate Campos, a senior, is not far behind.
“They are best friends and have grown up in the sport,” said Lisa Rainsberger, who has coached the boys since joining Kokopelli. “Its been such a wonderful journey the two have been on together. They chose to go to Coronado together. They help each other and build each other up.”
In their last season as high school teammates, the duo has led the Coronado boys cross country team to a No. 1 ranking in Colorado 4A, according to Colorado COROS Milesplit50 rankings.
“Our team doing this well means so much to me,” Campos said. “I love all my teammates so much as teammates and people. To be this successful together is amazing and I feel like it’s been a long time coming. I feel like we’ve grown so much as a team since being here and it’s amazing that we are at where we are now.”
Coronado was also ranked 16th nationally in the preseason Milesplit50 ranking.
While recognition is exciting, Rainsberger doesn’t dwell on it too long.
“Rankings is something that is a distraction, we try to focus on each individual athlete doing his or her best performance for the week or race,” Rainsberger said.
Coronado will display its talent at the Coronado Cougar Classic at Monument Park Valley Park on Saturday, where nearly 2,000 runners and 88 teams are expected.
The Cougars look forward to hosting a competitive race with home support, but see it as just one steppingstone to state in November where they will seek a state title after a runner-up finish last season.
To win state this year would mean a lot to the team, but especially for Campos who was injured and forced to end his season before last year’s state meet.
“He definitely helps us win more meets and it’s even better when he’s around practicing with us,” Horton said. “When he wasn’t there I definitely felt like something was missing. It made me appreciate his presence.”
“I hate to look back at the past, all we can do is look forward,” Rainsberger added. “It was really crushing for him and the team to lose him last year.”
Horton and Campos are already off to a good start, with Horton ranked No. 26 nationally and fifth in the state with his time of 14 minutes, 47.8 seconds from the Arapahoe Warrior XC Invitational on Aug. 29.
With just one official meet under his belt, Horton says he has a lot of work to do but is happy with where he’s at. Next week the Desert Twilight XC Festival in Arizona will be a test of his progress against some of the best in the country.
“It’s been really good, I didn’t expect to be this fit this early,” Horton said. ”I’ve just been enjoying things more than I usually have and working with Xzavier has made us both better, which shows in the results.”
“We elevate each other, so much,” Campos said.
Campos is ranked 25th in the state according to athletic.net, and has already set a personal record in the 5k this year of 14:59 at the Cherry Creek Steve Lohman Invitational on Sept. 6.
Besides Horton, Campos also attributes his development as a runner to Rainsberger.
“It feels like the best opportunity I could have to have her as a coach,” Campos said. “To keep training me and get me to the next level is amazing. I’m sad it’s the last season but we are going to really enjoy it and do the best we possibly can.”
While Coronado would like to add a state banner to its gym, the team knows nothing is for granted, and constantly talks about the sixth and seventh runners, who can be just as important as the team’s top five.
“We don’t talk about victory, we talk about how to execute our best race,” Rainsberger said.
Still, the team is excited about its potential and looks to Horton and Campos for inspiration. At practice Wednesday, the pair’s leadership was on display as they led their team through a speed workout on the grass.
“After workouts there they are celebrating and congratulating each other, seeing the potential of the possibilities ahead,” Rainsberger said. “We never get ahead of ourselves, always stay present but when training keeps getting better, the enthusiasm builds within the team and it’s such a positive environment right now.”
Coronado boys cross country team seeking state title with pair of best friends leading the way
Oliver Horton and Xzavier Campos began their running journeys together 10 years ago on the Kokopelli Racing Team and hope to end their last season together with a state championship trophy.
Just as they did in elementary school, the two run in sync in practice and push each other on the race course. While nationally ranked Oliver Horton, a junior, is usually first across the line, his friend and teammate Campos, a senior, is not far behind.
“They are best friends and have grown up in the sport,” said Lisa Rainsberger, who has coached the boys since joining Kokopelli. “Its been such a wonderful journey the two have been on together. They chose to go to Coronado together. They help each other and build each other up.”
In their last season as high school teammates, the duo has led the Coronado boys cross country team to a No. 1 ranking in Colorado 4A, according to Colorado COROS Milesplit50 rankings.
“Our team doing this well means so much to me,” Campos said. “I love all my teammates so much as teammates and people. To be this successful together is amazing and I feel like it’s been a long time coming. I feel like we’ve grown so much as a team since being here and it’s amazing that we are at where we are now.”
Coronado was also ranked 16th nationally in the preseason Milesplit50 ranking.
While recognition is exciting, Rainsberger doesn’t dwell on it too long.
“Rankings is something that is a distraction, we try to focus on each individual athlete doing his or her best performance for the week or race,” Rainsberger said.
Coronado will display its talent at the Coronado Cougar Classic at Monument Park Valley Park on Saturday, where nearly 2,000 runners and 88 teams are expected.
The Cougars look forward to hosting a competitive race with home support, but see it as just one steppingstone to state in November where they will seek a state title after a runner-up finish last season.
To win state this year would mean a lot to the team, but especially for Campos who was injured and forced to end his season before last year’s state meet.
“He definitely helps us win more meets and it’s even better when he’s around practicing with us,” Horton said. “When he wasn’t there I definitely felt like something was missing. It made me appreciate his presence.”
“I hate to look back at the past, all we can do is look forward,” Rainsberger added. “It was really crushing for him and the team to lose him last year.”
Horton and Campos are already off to a good start, with Horton ranked No. 26 nationally and fifth in the state with his time of 14 minutes, 47.8 seconds from the Arapahoe Warrior XC Invitational on Aug. 29.
With just one official meet under his belt, Horton says he has a lot of work to do but is happy with where he’s at. Next week the Desert Twilight XC Festival in Arizona will be a test of his progress against some of the best in the country.
“It’s been really good, I didn’t expect to be this fit this early,” Horton said. ”I’ve just been enjoying things more than I usually have and working with Xzavier has made us both better, which shows in the results.”
“We elevate each other, so much,” Campos said.
Campos is ranked 25th in the state according to athletic.net, and has already set a personal record in the 5k this year of 14:59 at the Cherry Creek Steve Lohman Invitational on Sept. 6.
Besides Horton, Campos also attributes his development as a runner to Rainsberger.
“It feels like the best opportunity I could have to have her as a coach,” Campos said. “To keep training me and get me to the next level is amazing. I’m sad it’s the last season but we are going to really enjoy it and do the best we possibly can.”
While Coronado would like to add a state banner to its gym, the team knows nothing is for granted, and constantly talks about the sixth and seventh runners, who can be just as important as the team’s top five.
“We don’t talk about victory, we talk about how to execute our best race,” Rainsberger said.
Still, the team is excited about its potential and looks to Horton and Campos for inspiration. At practice Wednesday, the pair’s leadership was on display as they led their team through a speed workout on the grass.
“After workouts there they are celebrating and congratulating each other, seeing the potential of the possibilities ahead,” Rainsberger said. “We never get ahead of ourselves, always stay present but when training keeps getting better, the enthusiasm builds within the team and it’s such a positive environment right now.”