Striding down a fairway, Pablo Chaves (10) pushes to the 2000 meter mark, and subsequent steep hill. Chaves managed to finish 29th overall, and fifth on the team; an impressive feat for such a young, promising athlete.

The eerie sound of hands slapping bare, cold legs is no unfamiliar sound to sophomore runner Pablo Chaves, who, despite his relatively young stature, has handled the biggest stages NSAA running can offer. Chaves started his running career in middle school, with a more casual mindset, but this changed as he approached high school. Volume and intensity of his training increased, and running became more than just a hobby.

The sophomore is heading to Nike Cross Regionals (NXR) with a number of other Gators this weekend in South Dakota to close out the season. Regardless that the season is coming to an end, Chaves remains optimistic about not just the future seasons, but this fall as well. “I think all of us had a great season,” he replies, when asked about the significance of the season. Chaves also points to good health and intense competition to furthering the quality of the 2025 season. However, as the days continue to pass by until next season, a sense of unfamiliarity looms over the Gator Cross Country squad.

The loss of seniors Josiah Bitker, Tyler Smith, and Raul Iniguez pose a significant change to team dynamic and leadership, as well as their scoring abilities. However, multiple strong sophomore runners proved salient this year, including Franky Turek and Titus Bitker. The surprisingly young age of these strong talents does not take away from their ability to lead, with Chaves, Turek, and Bitker having state appearances already under their belt as well as multiple medaling performances throughout the season. “The hype around state was different, ” Chaves admits. “It’s gotta be my favorite meet of the season though; I mean c’mon, it’s state.” In spite of the pressures that come with a State level competition, all three sophomores fought to finish in the top 35 of the 100 runner field, boasting nerves beyond their years.

As North Star enters a new era in their cross country dynasty, some might be quick to discount them due to the undeniable presences that are Tyler Smith and Josiah Bitker; but there are copious amounts of runners moving to take up leading roles on the team. Joining the sophomore trio in their charge to take command of the wheel is J’Shawn Afuh (11), who placed 3rd at state this year and is looking to be the keystone of the 2026 team. This fall’s season will forever be one to remember for the Gators, there’s no dodging that. But, North Star has a real chance of another deep, memorable run at the Kearney Country Club next fall.