Craig Daily Press

To Moffat County high School cross-country coach Todd Trapp, the level of competition his team faces doesn’t matter.

Whether it’s 4A or 5A, as far as he’s concerned, it’s all the same.

The team will get the chance to test Trapp’s mettle beginning Thursday, when the Bulldog runners compete in their first of back-to-back meets on the Eastern Plains.

On Thursday — the first day high school teams are eligible to compete — MCHS competes in the Pre-state XC Invitational at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins.

The meet will offer a preview of the course qualifying teams will compete on during the state championships Oct. 25.

“It’s the same course that hopefully we’ll see again at the end of the year,” Trapp said. “The season pretty much starts and ends there. It will give us a chance to prepare for that course throughout the course of the season.”

The Bulldogs will face competition from 4A schools Thursday as one of about 60 schools present.

“It’s going to be good competition for us,” Trapp said. “We will get to see some of the other teams that we will face throughout the season.”

Trapp said the top-5 runners aren’t set in stone, but he hopes to get a good feel for what his team can do.

The team will stay overnight Thursday in Fort Collins, offering them what Trapp said is a good team bonding experience.

“We usually only do this once a year,” he said. “So, it will give the kids a chance to spend some time together.”

On Friday, MCHS competes at Arapahoe High School.

The Bulldogs will be one of about 20 teams — most of them 5A.

“It’s a tough meet,” Trapp said.

Despite the level of competition and the change in hosts, the distance is the same.

Each MCHS runner is required to complete 5,000 meters, regardless of whom they run against, and where.

Looking at the different times between the two meets isn’t necessarily an early indicator of where the team stands.

“You can’t really compare those two things,” Trapp said. “Because the courses are different. Yeah, it’s still 5,000 meters, but turns, hills, footing, whether it’s grass, crushed rock, those things all play into running a fast time or running a slow time.”

The team has been training nearly every day since practices began Aug. 11, and Trapp said they are ready to go.

“The kids are excited to have a meet,” he said. “They’ve had tough practices for 2 1/2 weeks. It’s good to actually get out there, compete against other people, find out exactly where we’re at and then build on that for the rest of the year.

“They’re ready to race.”

John Vandelinder can be reached at 875-1793 or jvandelinder@craigdailypress.com