This season, the California Pintos cross country team is looking to see who will complete their varsity roster.
The team's first meet is at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 3, at Salisbury. Last season, the team finished in third place at the district meet at Bowling Green.
Head coach Ron Lebel said the team is looking for its fourth, fifth and sixth runners.
"We've got a couple of our top runners back," Lebel said. "Right now we have Caden (Kirksey) back and Trevor Porter and Colby Sommerer back from last year's team, and right now we are focused on whose going to be our fourth, fifth and sixth runners."
The team had a successful season last year, and Lebel said they are going to work on getting their times down.
Some goals for the team are trying to win the Tri-County Conference, which the team has won three years in a row, and to compete for one of the top two spots in their district.
"Our goals are just going to be what we have done in the past," Lebel said.
The team does not have as many runners out this year. Right now, Lebel said there are around 11 boys and around five girls on the team.
Lebel said he likes that the team has been working hard at practices. Lebel said there will be a competition to fill out those last few varsity roster spots.
"We have some younger guys looking around and realizing there's some varsity spots open, which, going into last year, there really wasn't too many varsity spots open because we had all those good runners coming back," Lebel said. "But this year we have a few spots open, and I see a few guys competing for it and trying to get better. It is always good to see kids compete to earn a spot on the varsity cross country team."
California cross country schedule
Sept. 3 - at Salisbury, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 - at Jefferson City High School, 9 a.m.
Sept. 11 - at Vienna, 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 - at Linn Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 24 - at Boonville, 4 p.m.
Sept. 28 - at Gans Creek XC Course, 7:30 a.m.
Oct. 5 - at North Callaway Invitational, 9 a.m.
Oct. 12 - at Russellville, TBA
Oct. 17 - at Tri County Conference, 4 p.m.
Oct. 26 - at Fatima, 9 a.m.
Nov. 2 - at District, TBA
Nov. 9 - at State, TBA