The Fountain Hills High School cross country team ran in the Titan Invitational over fall break last Thursday, Oct. 13.

Juniors Skye Alker and Erin Hooley both finished in the top five at Crossroads Park in Gilbert. The Falcons will return to Crossroads Park in two weeks to compete in the Division III Metro Sectionals on Thursday, Nov. 3.

Alker set a new personal best in the 5K at 21:32.4 and took fourth place. Alker beat her previous best of 22:11.0 by over 30 seconds, and she beat Hooley by a hair. Hooley finished fifth at 21:34.3 and both girls won medals.

Sophomore Racine Homyak and freshman Ali Guerrette also set personal records last week. Homyak’s previous best was 26:04.1, but she finished in 29th place with a 25:16.4 time.

Guerrette has improved in each race, and she shaved over a minute off her previous best of 26:40.0. She finished the Titan Invite in 32nd place at 25:37.4.

Seniors Tyler Irvine-Violette and Zion Atwood were the first Falcons to finish in the boys race. Irvine-Violette finished 28th and set a new season best at 18:54.8. Atwood cut his personal best down by two seconds to 19:31.9 and finished in 39th place.

Junior Dylan Romans was two seconds away from a new record, and he placed 74th with a 21:18.9 time. Senior Franklin Fiola finished close behind in 76th place and a 21:27.3 time. Fiola was also three seconds away from a new record.

Freshman Colby Wright took 85th place with a 21:49.0 time. Junior William Breen finished 97th with a 27:31.5 time.

The Falcons have an out-of-state meet this weekend. First, they compete in the Valley Lutheran Invitational today, Wednesday, Oct. 19. The Falcons start at 3 p.m. at Rose Mofford Park in Phoenix.

This weekend, from Oct. 21-22, the Falcons will be in Walnut, Calif. for the 74th Mt. SAC Invitational. The Mt. SAC Invitational had 423 teams compete last year and is one of the largest and most well-known cross country meets in the country.