With one final leap across the finish line, the cross country team finished their last meet at districts on October 11, wrapping up the season for the 2024-2025 school year.
“[Before joining cross country] I saw all the fun that they do and all the team bonding and everything, and I just enjoyed that,” junior Sofy Torres said. “And everybody supported each other so I liked that a lot.”
The cross country team had their highs and lows throughout the season.
“We started off on a really rocky start, and then I feel like we finished strong,” Torres said. “Freshman boys went ahead and they got third place in districts, which was really cool.”
Despite several setbacks, the athletes stayed strong and worked hard to push past their adversities.
“This year was a good season,” Nava said. “A lot of us (were) tackled with injuries and I think we kinda took that as a big step into how we trained and how to improve ourselves as a team together.”
Striving to win medals in the races plays a significant role in the athletes’ development and their input to the team; however, feeling proud regardless of the meet results is more important than the accolades.
“I’m there for the experience but also there for the win,” Torres said. “I feel like if we lose, I still like being happy and still making it something memorable.”
This year, many cross country runners stepped into new roles on the team. Nava earned the position of Captain, giving guidance to the underclassmen.
“Honestly when I first got the opportunity to be a captain, I was ecstatic,” Nava said. “I got that role to be a captain and lead the team and I’ve been a great mentor and leader for the team.”
Senior Jaqueline Arellano, on the other hand, adopted the duties of Manager, having to “keep the times [of the runners] perfectly” and not “look away for a second.”
“I went from being a runner to being a manager and they were completely different,” senior Jaqueline Arellano said. “I was fighting the urge from being a runner and just settling with being a manager.”
For many runners, the most difficult part of cross country is waking up for the early morning practices and staying consistent.
“There are times where your mind will tell you to quit and many people will quit,” Nava said. “But the group of people you’re with motivates you to stay and keep coming out in the morning to train.”
Throughout the years, the cross country family has grown in size and bond, and this team is what holds everyone together.
“I like being around people that love supporting each other and I just love all the fun that we have,” Torres said. “Everyone is so friendly with each other and so close. We have a really close team.”
“I think everyone grew as a person [this year] and that’s what I liked,” Arellano said. “You saw the freshmen’s immaturity but then they started maturing as each race went by because they got more serious and involved in it.”
Nava advises younger athletes to share their struggles with one another and lean on their teammates for support in order to succeed.
“Just stay motivated, keep your head in, don’t keep too far off your path,” Nava said. “Bring friends along the journey and it’ll be great if they come along with you so you’re not alone in all this.”
