Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 | midnight
From left, senior homecoming king candidates Ryan Cross, Aaron Barry and Fernando Valenzuela sit on the bleachers Friday, waiting to escort the homecoming queen candidates during Silverado's homecoming parade. The three have been friends since seventh grade.
Silverado Skyhawks senior Ryan Cross was busy Friday and Saturday.
The cross country runner attended homecoming festivities during halftime of the Skyhawks' football game Friday and was named the Homecoming King.
He quickly left the school and drove to Huntington Beach, Calif., to join Silverado's cross country team for the Central Park Invitational.
After a few hours of sleep, Cross took 79th out of 179 runners to help the 'Hawks to a 15th place finish. He then hopped back in the car and returned to Silverado for the Homecoming dance.
Silverado coach Brian Whitaker said most students would have probably asked to skip the meet.
But Cross has been one of the Skyhawks most dedicated runners the last three years and wouldn't let his teammates down.
"It doesn't surprise me a bit that Ryan would do that only because he's always gone above and beyond," Whitaker said. "He's always been a real dependable kid. From a coaching standpoint, you couldn't ask to have a better kid out there as a leader showing the younger kids how things should be done."
Cross said skipping the meet never entered mind.
"As a captain, I just feel like it's my responsibility to be there," Cross said. "I feel like I owe it to the team. When you're on a team like this, that's as close as we all are, you feel like you have to be there."
Though Cross didn't join the team until his sophomore year, he quickly showed he could add even more depth too an already talented roster.
Now, Cross is the remaining connection between the Hawks' days as a powerhouse in the Sunrise Region and what has shaped up to be more of a rebuilding year.
"I just try to make sure I'm running my hardest and upholding the standard that was set by all the great guys I ran with," Cross said. "I try to make sure everyone stays focused and keeps pushing themselves."
Whitaker said Cross's biggest contribution off the course has been passing the right attitude on to the younger runners.
Cross said it takes a certain type of dedicated attitude to run cross country in the first place.
"(Cross country) can be exhausting but you jus have to stay focused and know you'll get through it," Cross said. "You have to find a way to push yourself. It's not for everyone."
Jared Harmon can be reached at 990-8922 or [email protected].
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