The boys’ and girls’ cross country teams attended the Mt. SAC Invitational Individual Sweepstakes on Oct. 20. The boys’ team finished first out of 28 teams, and the girls’ team finished second out of 22 teams.
Leo Craig ’24, who finished 19th in the 5k race and first among the boys’ team with a time of 16:09, said both teams’ success was a result of dedication and hard work in training.
“We haven’t changed anything in our training, but rather our training is beginning to pay off,” Craig said. “This year’s team is definitely one of the deepest we’ve ever had, with a great dedicated group of guys who put in all the work at practice, run the volume and get together to run 14-16 mile long runs each weekend.”
Craig said following the team’s strategy was crucial to winning the meet.
“This year our coach’s plan was to pack up around 30th place and not get pulled out by the super-fast individuals,” Craig said. “We did that well, and entering the third mile we began to push. The team won the race by following the plan and running a smart, conservative race. Going into CIF, we all want to build off our performances from the invite and get as many guys under 16 minutes as possible.”
The team’s next meet is the Mission League Invitational at Pierce College on Oct. 31.
Stanley Shapiro • Jan 4, 2024 at 5:23 pm
Excellent photos.