“Where the horns come together”

It’s no secret that The Sopris Sun cheers for the Rams! We live in a valley replete with athletes competing in a range of sports, from skiing (of course) to lacrosse, football, hockey, mountain biking, rock climbing, etc. You name it, we play it.

By one coaching legend’s observation, the challenge is that schools want to welcome every sport, and “we run out of athletes.” Programs get thinned out and teams lose the kind of specialized talent that comes with dedication to a particular sport.

Ron Lund coaches cross country and track for the Basalt Longhorns. When it comes to cross country, Lund has the special delight of training student-athletes from both Roaring Fork High School (RFHS) and Basalt High School. 

“It’s really good from the standpoint of kids from different schools coming together. You wouldn’t know they come from different schools, the way they act as a team,” Lund told The Sopris Sun.

Special efforts have even been made to make the experience as welcoming as possible. Last year, for example, t-shirts were designed by a RFHS student-athlete incorporating the two teams’ mascots and school colors. On the back, the t-shirts say: “Basalt Cross Country: Where the horns come together.”

That year, according to Lund, they had the biggest team ever. Due to COVID uncertainty, the entire year’s sports schedule was thrown into flux, and popular fall sports like soccer and volleyball were postponed. It’s happened more than once, according to Lund, that the Longhorns cross country team winds up with more runners from RFHS than Basalt.

This year’s cross country team is en route to compete at state finals. The last regional meet of the season prior to state will be in New Castle, at VIX Ranch Park, on Oct. 22 with races at 1 and 1:30 p.m.

Other Basalt teams that count Rams among their ranks are the softball team (pictured here) which already finished out their season and the golf team. 

The Roaring Fork Mountain Biking Club also attracts student-athletes representing different schools in the Valley. 

Regardless of the sport, regardless of the team, we’re proud to see local youth staying fit and pursuing their potential.

The Longhorns softball team attracts players from Glenwood Springs High School, as well as RFHS. Head coach Amy Bollock looks forward to little league in the spring, hoping to recruit more girls into the sport. Standing from left: Taylor Anthes, Kat Lott, Liz Kummer, Kiera Larson. Middle: Ebbie Wolz, Olivia Goodman, Chloe Davies, Izzy Mischke. Ground: Corey Bollock (RFHS), Bella Meraz (the only senior on the team), Kyra Reeds (RFHS). Photo by Sue Rollyson.