The Phoenix High School cross country teams have been preparing for the season for a long time.

And now that it's finally here, the Pirates are looking solid through three early-season meets.

A variety of veterans have set the pace, including Sophia Stubblefield and Kyla Potratz on the girls' side and Noah Marshall and Elwood Hosking for the PHS boys.

Stubblefield and Potratz finished 1-2 at the season-opening Rick Invite in Klamath Falls on March 6. The Pirate girls won the event with 32 team points.

At the same race, the Phoenix boys finished second to host Klamath Union. Hosking finished third overall to pace Phoenix.

Hosking turned in a stellar effort in a three-team meet at the Jackson County Expo on March 10. The junior ran the 12th fastest 5K time in school history, finishing in 16 minutes, 17 seconds as the Pirate boys finished second to host Crater. Dilan Mathieu finished sixth and Marshall seventh for the PHS boys.

Stubblefield and Potratz finished third and fourth in the girls' race as the Pirate girls were second as a team to North Medford.

Both teams were back in Klamath Falls for the Henley Invitational on March 13, each finished second to Klamath Union. Freshman Ave Robinson led the girls, finishing fifth i n21:56. Classmate Brisa Bauer placed eighth in 23:57 while Potratz was ninth. Marshall was the top finisher for the Phoenix boys, placing seventh in 17:33.

Both Pirate teams return to action on March 18 when they host the Greenway Restoration 5K at Blue Heron Park in Phoenix.