Determination and endurance were evident among the members of Huntington Middle School's Cross Country team Saturday, September 21, at the Rio Grande Invitational held at Rio Grande University. It was one of those days with intense heat, coupled with a tough course, but every athlete fought through it all with grit and focus.

The course itself wasn't easy, with one particularly daunting hill that athletes had to tackle about halfway through the race. The heat just made the climb all the more grueling-but it also brought out the true character of these young runners. I positioned myself at the top of this hill to capture their sheer determination as they pushed through exhaustion, giving everything they had.

The runners all finished with smiles, even with the tough conditions-a testament to the hard work each has put in and to the amazing feeling it is to have accomplished such a difficult course. Indeed, the effort of Huntington Middle was well done, since each athlete gave it their all against adversity.

Look out for the photo gallery, where moments of grit, focus, and triumph will be relived with this group of runners tackling the Rio Grande course!