Cross Country Athletes Set Goals and Gain Confidence
Cross-country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run races on outdoor courses over natural terrain. The OHS cross country team consists of many very talented athletes. Their first practice was over the summer before school started.
A typical practice consists of running 2 laps for a warm-up and then doing some stretches. After that, they do a long run which is usually a 5-mile run. New team members sometimes do a 2-mile run or maybe 1 until they build up to a longer distance.
There are currently 10 members on the team and one coach. “Cross country is an important sport because it gets athletes ready for the upcoming athletic seasons. It is also important because it gets them physically fit and mentally fit at the same time. I coach because cross country athletes are a special breed of athletes,” said Coach Holsclaw.
The athletes set their season goals early. Some of the athletes do cross country to train for the upcoming track seasons.
“Cross country gets me ready for track, and the 800 is my pride and joy,” said Damani Epps.
“Cross country keeps me competitive with myself and others. I love to drop my time each race,” said Taylor Luskey.
“What keeps me going is first God, I say this because I believe and put my trust in him that I can always improve. I want to be better than anyone else, I have huge ambitions. I want to go to the 2028 Olympics,” added Kenny Giron-Garcia.
“I know I can get better, that’s what helps me want to get better. I know I can push myself more, so it’s a good mantra to repeat. I also think that if I work hard, I can be a good role model to my team. They will want to work hard as well. I want to set the example that we should all strive to be our best!” said Abi Nguyen (captain).
“Watching the kids set goals and watching kids hit their goals are the best things about coaching. I also like building leaders for the future. Teaching kids to be respectable and to contribute to their community is also important to me,” added Coach Rose.
The team meets are scheduled for September 21 and 24, and October 1 and 6. While the team encourages spectators to come out and show support, they also take pride in supporting each other.
“Being a part of a team is the best aspect of cross country. Supporting each other through hard workouts and cheering each other on at meets makes it all so worth it. The sense of community from our team makes it the most fun I’ve had in high school,” said Abi Nguyen.
“Having other people to run with is the best. Seeing a lot of people better than me helps me,” said rookie athlete Seth Vandivere.
Nickolas Williams • Nov 9, 2022 at 10:43 am
This article is very detailed and organized. The intro paragraphs was really good, I like the way it explained the sport for those that don’t really know it. The quotes are very good and well used.
Jonah Morales-Espinoza • Sep 23, 2022 at 12:38 pm
As a cross-country runner, this article sounds like you really did your best in finding information regarding the sport. The quotes are very good, I like that you interviewed not only the athletes but both coaches as well. Also props for including when the meets are gonna happen, very good information.
Alejandra Chavarria • Sep 23, 2022 at 12:08 pm
I like how detailed and in depth the description of the practices are. I like how you included quotes that tell how the players stay motivated.
Alondra Marquez • Sep 21, 2022 at 4:10 pm
It was detailed, organized, great grammar, and overall great I enjoyed reading your article
Aziza Zarrincalaki • Sep 21, 2022 at 2:13 pm
I love how there is the meet dates featured on the end. I also love the ending quotes about the closeness/friendships of the team.
Alexis Valdez • Sep 21, 2022 at 1:52 pm
I love this article it talks about sports and setting goals for the future and it’s good that they talk about the future goal that you want to do on life and other experience. Also the quotes are good and everything is good and they in a perfect place of where it should be.
Yessica Corrales • Sep 21, 2022 at 1:24 pm
I love how you mentioned how they practice, it was really detailed. I was really interested in reading about how each individual said something that inspired them. The quotes from the coaches where amazing, it’s an amazing article!
amelia breeden • Sep 21, 2022 at 12:23 pm
The information about cross country was a good detail, including the warm-up was also was a great feature. It was also very intriguing to read on about what inspires each individual, that question was a great question to ask.
Madina Habib • Sep 21, 2022 at 12:13 pm
There’s a lot of things that I really liked about this article. From the image of a regular practice and a description of what exactly a regular practice for the athletes look like, to what cross country means to the athletes- the quotes were superb. Loved this!