The Titan Invitational hosted by Chandler Preparatory Academy at Crossroads Park in Gilbert on Oct. 13 is one of the most important meets for Horizon Honors this season.

The meet will feature numerous teams that Horizon Honors will see at sectionals to qualify for the state championships, which are both in November.

“It is important for our boys team especially because it is at the park where we will race at sectionals,” said Horizon Honors head coach David Sheveland.

The Eagles placed 17th at their most recent meet Western Equinox on Sept. 24. Their top runner Trey Costello individually placed 25th with a time of 18 minutes and 24.5 seconds, and the rest of the team finished under 30 minutes.

Sheveland stressed to his team the importance of training during their fall break leading up to the Titan Invite. Prior to the break, Sheveland held a scavenger hunt for the team, in which the main goal was to run and stick together.

The Titan Invite will have some state title contenders, including Chandler Prep which placed first at Western Equinox in the boys division. Their best runner JD Ouellette finished second at 16:50.0.

Another top team at the Titan Invite will be Valley Christian. Horizon Honors has raced against Valley Christian twice earlier this season at Western Equinox and the Erin Botma Invitational. Valley Christian placed first and second at the Erin Botma and Western Equinox, respectively, where the Trojans finished in both around 18 minutes in both meets. Six out of Valley Christian's seven runners placed between 15th and 22nd at Western Equinox.

The girls division at the Titan Invite will be just as tough. Although the Horizon Honors cannot compete as a team, the individual race is still important for Maya Wells and Madelyn Longstreet.

“It’s important for sectionals and where we are ranked,” Wells said.

Much like the boys, they will face top schools in the girls division such as American Leadership Academy-Ironwood and Valley Christian. The latter team's top runner Ellie Phillips finished third at the Erin Botma Invite and seventh at Western Equinox.

Wells finished 15th at the Erin Botma Invite at 23:59.6, and Madelyn Longstreet finished 54th at 28:34.9. They both improved at Western Equinox, finishing 18th (22:34.2) and 65th (27:44.5), respectively. 

The Eagles have battled through the heat their past two meets with temperatures reaching the upper 90s.

“I’m glad it’s going to be in the morning so it shouldn’t be that hot,” Longstreet said.

Sheveland hopes to see his team finish earlier because the temperatures will be lower. Costello finished around 17 minutes their first two meets, but with the heat and previous soreness in his shoulder his time has gone up slightly.

The girls small school varsity will run first at 10 a.m. They will be followed by the boys small school varsity at 10:30 a.m. then boys small school open at 10:55 a.m. in which two of the Eagles' boys be in.

The team continues their path to state in its final stretch of the season with three meets until sectionals. The team almost qualified for state last year but did not make the cut.

“Last year two teams didn’t show up to sectionals and they take the top half teams to states. So if there were 10 teams there we placed sixth, if those teams showed up we would have gone to states,” Sheveland said.