MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks cross country team is headed to Hawaii for the 2026 Iolani cross country Invitational. Heading into the race, Head Coach Larry Dagnon feels good about where his team is at.  

"I think we've got it," Dagnon said. "We are going to be very tough. We have a good chance in Hawaii to do really well; we think we could win it, but I'm not positive. By the time you get to that afternoon race, the heat, the humidity-it's something that we don't get here." 

This unique opportunity is something the Mavs program only does every two years and is completely student-funded, the coach said. The boys team is sending 22 runners while the girls are sending 14. While Dagnon and the Mavs are eager to perform, they are taking some foreseen challenges into account.  

Rachel Nofziger, a senior for the Mavericks, is attending the Hawaii trip for a second time, having gone her freshman season. Her previous experience with the trip could prove beneficial as she prepares to adjust to a different climate. 

"The hardest part for me, other than the hills and the weather, was just acclimating," Nofziger said. "Because we're coming from Moses Lake and then we're going to sea level down there, and so the air is dense, and you're kind of overwhelmed with oxygen the first little bit, and it's so humid." 

While there is not much that can be done here in town to prepare for a new climate, the Mavericks will be spending a few days in Hawaii and plan to work on adjusting when they arrive.  

"The first thing we do is go on a hike," junior Natalie Vehrs said. "That's (to) kind of ease into it. You're not running, but it's more than walking and then we do our first workout there. We go a few days in advance so we can get adjusted to the climate there before we're just like running our all out. The initial adjustment sucks, but by the time you hit the race, you're feeling pretty good with the weather, but it does still feel different when you race." 

For Lane Christensen, this will also be his second time going with the team to Hawaii – which he called an experience of a lifetime.  

"I made so many cool memories and getting to race there in Hawaii, it was just an experience I'll never forget," Christensen said.  

Colton Lucero has been to Hawaii before, but it wasn't with the team, he said. Getting this experience with his teammates provides unique excitement for the upcoming trip. In their preparation leading up to the race, he feels confident they can perform well.  

"I think we have a really good team," Lucero said. "We got the guys to do it. We just got to have the race that we know we can have and get up there." 

He identified consistency as a key to success, emphasizing the importance of showing up and being disciplined. 

"To me, it's just showing up every day, being here on time. It's a big part of it. Hitting the paces you need to, recovering, taking the easy days easy, making the hard days hard. Making sure you're doing exactly what you need to every day," he said.  

Christensen and Lucero said they will be generally aiming for a sub-16-minute race time while Nofziger and Vehrs are aiming for a sub-19.  

Nofziger also sees it as an opportunity to see the potential of this year’s team.  

"Last time I was in Hawaii -- sophomore year. We ran a 20:40 something, and that was without the new program," Nofziger said. "We're all starting to get so much faster and better. It'll be fun to see how much we can improve. It'll be a really good kind of vision at how much this program has gotten better." 

The race is set for Sept. 12. A full recap of the race and trip will be available in a future edition of the Columbia Basin Herald once the team returns. 

    Colton Lucero keeps pace during his 5K race at the Big 9 league meet, last season. Lucero will be one of the attendees from the boys team competing in Hawaii.
  

    Runners on the Moses Lake boys and girls cross country teams smile for a photo at the Iolani Cross Country Invitational in 2024. The Mavs program makes the trip every two years, and it is completely student funded, Head Coach Larry Dagnon said.