Better Every Mile: Xander Cardoza's Journey

What a story. Xander Cardoza is proof that if you put in the work, the results will come. He is now competing at a high level and even winning meets, including the RPAC Championship. And this, week he will compete at the Class D NSAA State Cross Country Meet in Kearney, at the Kearney Country Club.

He didn't do Cross Country for the competitive aspect. At first, it was a fitness journey for him. "I mean I'd say the whole reason I joined cross country in the first place was just to like get fit I guess and that was really just the main driver for me. And I guess it kinda just became another part of me to like try to get better...Like it's not about fitness anymore, it's about running, like, good times and placing good and stuff like that now."

Cardoza has found a way to consistently improve.

As a freshman in 2024, his personal best was 24:38.1; he finished in the 50th-60th range and received 0 medals.

In 2025, as a sophomore, his personal best was a time of 18:51.7, finishing in the range of 4th-26th. He earned four medals and narrowly missed state, placing 19th at districts. The Top 15 go to state.

Now, as a junior in 2026, his personal best is 17:18.4; he regularly finishes top-5, medaled in all eight meets, and has won three, including an RPAC Title, as mentioned.

Dundy County Stratton Head Cross Country Coach Megan Spargo said the work he put in practice led to those improvements. "He practiced like he was a track star. When an athlete starts to realize their potential, some new feelings set in, like pressure and expectations- he was making so many improvements and running far better times...Xander comes to practice and does an amazing job. He studies runners, techniques, and mechanics like it's his job, and he runs and runs on his own. As Xander would say, "he knows ball," said Coach Spargo.

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It was his sophomore season when he realized he could be competitive. "I kinda noticed it like after sophomore cross country probably. Cause I mean, I did alright sophomore year, but I didn't really run that good. And so I really just spent a lot of time focusing on like my biomechanics and stuff like that, how to be the most efficient, basically."

Cardoza says the mental part of his preparation is more important than the physical. "I mean there's certainly probably more mental preparation than physical for sure, 'cause...I'm just not really that good at like really believing that I can do some things sometimes. Like I'm really good at just forgetting all the good things I can do and have done, and so I just really just have to dig deep to conjure up that belief that I can do it, you know?"

For Cardoza, success is about the effort he puts in. "Sometimes you're not at one hundred percent. But I mean, you just gotta put something down, you know. I mean, a little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing at all. And I'd much rather just finish a race. And know that I, you know, did the best I could that day than to just think about what I could have done if I didn't run, you know."

We'll see how Cardoza finishes the season Friday at the Class D NSAA State Cross Country Invite at the Country Club in Kearney. We fully expect him to go out there and compete at a high level.

And Coach Spargo is excited for Xander. "I am excited to see Xander's go off! I think he left some in the tank at the District meet for Kearney. Last year it was a goal for him to make it to state, and he wasn't far off, this year he easily secured his place and I am thrilled for him to be able to compete at this level."