By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

Even before last week’s race, Marion runner Tristen Dye knew the team would perform well on its home course.

“I knew it was going to be a good race,” he said. “It helped that we knew the course, unlike being on the golf course, where we didn’t train on the course.”

Marion has changed courses and now runs on a path that winds through fields near Warrior Stadium. The old course was on the grounds of Marion Country Club.

This is junior Colton Boudreaux’s first year on a full team, which provides extra motivation to perform well.

“During races and practices we all push each other,” he said. “Especially this year, having a team was important to me because it’s something I wanted for the past couple years.”

Despite being a freshman, Dye has been pacing the Warriors in recent meets.

“We can’t be individual runners because we’re not the only ones,” he said. “Everyone else is relying on us.”

Starting fast and running in front of the pack is important for Dye and that mindset has paid off. He has broken 20 minutes multiple times in the early season, with Boudreaux and Christopher Berry regularly flirting with the 20-minute barrier.

It was Marion’s best meet so far, with all five boys and the three girls competitors setting season bests.

True to form, Heidi Grimmett notched a second place finish, almost breaking the 21:30 mark.

Senior teammates Bethany Grimmett and Alfwenna Meyer might have shown the most improvement since last meet. They cut six minutes from their times, securing a 30th-place finish for Bethany, and 32nd for Meyer.

Boys results: Dye, 19:58.4; Berry, 20:03.2; Boudreaux, 20:15.2; Nathan Shields, 21:09.2; Hayden Mendoza, 23:24.7.

Girls results: H. Grimmett, 21:37.9; B. Grimmett, 27:04.6; Meyer, 27:28.5.