The cross country team has been working through hills and strength training to prepare for future meets.

According to coach Ivan Gomez.

“We’ve really focused on hill work because the course we’ll be racing on is tough. Our goal is to make sure the team is comfortable and confident by the time City Finals roll around,”

While the team had a race with mixed results at last weekend’s race at Central Park, Gomez believes in their ability to improve.

“The mind is both a runner’s greatest asset and sometimes their biggest obstacle.” he said.

“Our runners are talented, and as long as they stay focused, they’ll see success.”

Freshman Whitney Derby has long hours of training required to stay in prime shape.

“You just keep practicing, keep getting better, and by the end of the season, you’re at your best,” she said.

“The time commitment is tough, and it takes a lot out of you,” she said.

Sophomore Elise Kao didn’t start as a cross-country runner. She joined the team to help with her swimming.

“It started as cross-training for swimming, but I fell in love with the team atmosphere,” Kao said.

Even though she has to balance both sports, Kao has found that cross country is a unique challenge igniting yet another element of her passion for sports.

Junior Alex Du, one of the team’s top performers, said, “Last weekend’s race was
rough.”

“But that’s part of cross-country. Not every race is going to be your best, but it’s important to keep pushing. I’m motivated by seeing my teammates succeed, and that pushes me to give my best effort every time.”

While last weekend’s meet wasn’t a complete success, it did show promise with most of the freshman boys coming in under 18 minutes–an impressive feat, and the freshman girls only one point away from third place.

Hopefully this means that when League meets begin, the team will be more than ready to excel.
“We’re prepared. We’ve been putting in the work, and now it’s time to show what we can do,” Du said.