Cross country squad faces Firth

The Mountain Home Tigers cross country teams head to Firth on Saturday for the Firth Mud Run.

The turnout for cross country this year has Mountain Home Tiger cross country coach Doug Root smiling.

"We had an excellent turnout. Right now we're sitting at right about 30 kids, and they're about evenly mixed between boys and girls."

Coach Root is also pleased because a lot of those out are returning from last year.

"Our girls team is returning five of our starting seven and we've picked up a couple that will fill our squad. Idahocrosscountry.net has us ranked fourth in the state right now, so I'm real pleased with that. We were sixth last year, (but) press clippings are press clippings. We still have to prove that we can do it, and I think we can. I think the girls will be real good.

"I've got all of my boys returning, also, so we should be stronger this year. Joe Gutierrez, my number one boy last year, went to Australia with me this summer and ran down there and dropped his PR (personal record) by 30 seconds between last year and this summer, so we've got big things on tap for him, and the other boys are looking real good, too."

The Tigers open their season Saturday at the Firth Mud Run.

"I don't know anything about the course," said Coach Root.

"We're going to take all 30 of our kids and we're going to take probably 15 of the junior high kids with us and just see what it's about. It's supposedly 3.1 miles, but the times are in the 25-minute range, so it's for fun -- it's not an important meet, it's just going to be a good fun time for the kids."