With a wave of incoming freshman runners, this year is turning out to be amazing. Our athletes are training harder than ever – and injuries are minimal (a runner’s worst, although common, nightmare). Our team consists of a whopping 56 runners, an astounding turn-up.
Montgomery –a.k.a.– hell. Pure, unadulterated hills, with little to no shade. 2.7 miles of agony. Also many runners’s favorite race. We run this course adjacent to Evergreen College at least 4 times this year, giving us practice. Yet also allowing us to race against ourselves, striving for better times each round. Our ever-circulating varsity roster hopes to run sub-16:00 (under sixteen minutes). Last year at CCS, our team placed 5th; this year, we are likely to place 1st. Also known as the Central Coast Section, CCS gathers the best runners from Central California and pits them against each other in a healthy, yet brutal, race. As Mason McCaskill puts it, “There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is an ‘I’ in grind.” McCaskill references the hours upon hours of hard work it takes to compete and do well in CCS. Despite this, cross country is no doubt a team based sport. Many athletes would not be where they are now without each other. We push each other–in training, and in races.
Another runner says, “When one likes something, they pick it; when one loves something, they water and nurture it.” This reflects our team’s outlook on the sport of Cross Country. It requires dedication, water, and a healthy environment.