Over the past two Saturdays, the Venice High School cross-country team has shown their hard work and determination with many runners achieving personal records. 

The team’s recent meets have made them look stronger than ever as they prepare themselves for the upcoming league competitions.

“We had great meets,” said coach Ivan Gomez. “Most of our kids got new times, personal records and our team is looking really strong. We’re very ready for our league competitions.”

As the team advances through the season, they have good competitors at both the league and city levels. Palisades High School, a long term rival, continues to be one of the teams to beat.

“At the league level, Palisades is always a school to watch out for, and that’s been the case for a while,” Gomez said. “At the city level, we’re also keeping an eye on Granada Hills, San Pedro, and maybe a few other schools.”

Tomorrow, the team heads to Griffith Park for the Bellarmine/Sacred Heart invitational. The course features hills that will test the runners endurance. Despite the difficulty, the team feels well-prepared.

“We’ve definitely done more hill training this season,” Gomez said. “The team is ready to face any course, especially ones with hills.”

One standout on the team is freshman Whitney Derby, who has been impressing her coaches and teammates with her dedication and performance.

“I’ve just been going to practice every day, listening to the coaches, and making sure to stay hydrated and eat enough,” said Derby. “My dad ran cross-country in high school, and that’s been a big motivation for me.”

With league meets just around the corner, the cross country team is confident and focused. They’re confident to have a successful season.

“We’re ready to take on whatever comes our way,” Gomez said.