Royal cross country is more than a sport, it's family

ROYAL CITY — Maybe it says something about the work ethic they have here on the Royal Slope.

Maybe it’s a desire to be a part of tradition and something that has carried on for generations. Shoot, maybe it’s just they like running tough.

Whatever it is, the torch has been passed and Royal senior Silver Beltran and junior Rudy Flores are setting the pace and guys like Martin Horta, Eddy Rodriguez, Miguel Villa, and Alfredo Orozco are filling in nicely around them to help keep the Knights at the forefront of SCAC and 1A cross country.

“My brother Juan is the one that got me going with cross country. I played football when I was little, but when he started running I thought I’d give it a try,” said Flores, who finished 31st (17:05.90) in the 1A state race a year ago. “I like the running part to stay in shape. But really I like being with my friends (on the team). They get to be like family.”

For a football and wrestling town, they take pride in their accomplishments on the cross country course and representing their community. The Knights won a 1A state championship in 2007. They won eight consecutive SCAC District Champions (2009-16) and six straight SCAC League Championships (2011-16 (East).

“We made our first state meet appearance in 2001 and we’ve gone to state every year since,” Knights coach Ben Orth said. “These guys have really stepped up and carried the torch. Rudy and Silver in particular have been at the forefront. We do our summer running program and they’re right there.

“Tradition means something here and these guys are working hard to make a difference.”

Beltran has been running for the Knights going all way back to when he was an eighth grader. He has worked his way through the order all the way up to the No. 2 spot this year. He and Flores are fairly interchangeable as the front-runners. Flores (17 minutes, 54.6 seconds) was 10th at the Moses Lake Invitational, running against the 4A schools in the season opener, and Beltran (17:54.8) was 11th, running shoulder to shoulder with his friend and running mate.

They encourage each other and that’s what makes the lineup strong top to bottom, Beltran said.

“This is my fifth year of running and I know what it takes to improve. It didn’t come easy,” Beltran said. “I’ve been there as the No. 7 guy working my way up. I try to encourage our guys to keep up the work it takes to get where we want to go.”

With cross country, a team is only as strong as its fifth man. Grouping and pack time is what makes the difference in the team score. Not everyone can run with the lead pack, but if you can beat someone else’s No. 3 or pick off a guy or two along the way it helps the team. That’s what keeps Knights’ No. 3 guy Martin Horta pressing on.

“What really makes this fun for me is the people I’m around. They motivate you. They’re always there for you and they help you get everything out of you,” the Royal junior said. “Right now, I’m the No. 3 guy and my job is to stick with (Rudy and Silver) for as long as I can. My job is to beat the other guys that are the same rank as me and get as many guys in the end as I can.

“Running for Royal means a lot to me. I’ve lived here since I was three years old. My brothers were on the same team, so it’s important to compete hard and represent our town as best we can.”

Royal City is a football and wrestling town, but they all work hard. Eddy Rodriguez wrestles, so he knows a little something about Knights tradition. His job is to run his own race and contribute where he can.

“I really like to compete. It’s a team sport, but it’s about individual performance,” Rodriguez said. “This team is really close and that’s what makes it fun. We’re a bunch of hard-working guys and I think that’s what makes us good. I think that’s one of the main things about our town, the hard work and taking care of each other like family.”

They have one more race against the larger programs in the region this week at the Wenatchee Invitational before hosting the first SCAC meet of the year with Goldendale, Granger and College Place.

Rodney Harwood is a sports writer with the Columbia Basin Herald and can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com