(CHANDLER, AZ.) The future looked bright, bright and early, for Gilbert Christian cross country on Saturday morning, as its four-man freshman boys squad claimed second overall in the Chandler Invitational's 23-team field. Weston Ford emerged as the top-finisher for the Knights on the Tumbleweed Park course, securing a sixth-place medal with his 18:02.2 effort.
 
The Knights matched champion Mountain View's 21-point total but were bumped to second-place due to having just four runners.
 
Newcomers McKay Pacheco and Austin Beck placed seventh and eighth, respectively, while Noah Chhokar rounded out the order in 72nd. Nearly 150 runners competed in the 9th grade race.
 
Asa Jones looked strong in the junior boys' race, finishing 8th overall while posting a career-best time (17:01.4) in the first meet of the season.
 
Sophomore Jacob Shields (20:01.4) and junior Bradley Craven (22:16.5) also set personal records on the day for the Knights.
 
The Western Equinox XC Invite is next on the 2025 schedule, slated for Friday, September 5th at Freestone Park. Races will begin at 6:30am.