The Charlo cross country team has 17 kids out this year, up from six last year. Coach Bret Thompson said many of the kids are doing football or volleyball along with cross country. 

The boys’ team is all new this year, and the girls have three returners. The boys lost Dalton Delaney to graduation, who took eighth at state last year. The returners are Aislyn Love, Skyler Frame and Devi Knutson.

The three-year-old team is a club, and is not funded by the school. They do their own fundraising, including a fun run that will be happening on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the high school. It will involve a one-mile, 5K, and 10K races.

In Class C, teams only have to have three kids to score in meets. To qualify for state, boys have to run under 30 minutes, and girls have to run under 35 minutes. Thompson said that he hopes all of his athletes qualify for state.

The kids that are in other sports have got their work cut out for them. They have morning practice for cross country, then head to their other sport practice after school gets out. Coach Thompson said it doesn’t seem to bother the athletes.

The teams’ first meet is at the Mission Mountain golf course outside of Ronan on September 10.