More than half of the cross country team beat their personal records after placing fifth overall at the last PAL qualifier of the season. Still, despite improvements made in their performances, many varsity runners did not do as well as they hoped.
“I’m pretty disappointed with my overall performance this season,” says senior Jeffrey Song. “Personally, I haven’t lived up to the standards I set for myself.”
This year, the team was left to deal with a change in the overall team dynamic following the departure of several Aragon alumni. “Losing key members of varsity definitely impacts how cohesive we are as a team,” says Song.
This year, the varsity boys’ team expected to go to the state championships. However, their performance this season placed them in eighth place in Central Coast Sectional (CCS). Only the top three teams qualify to compete at states.
Granted, the void left by last year’s seniors has allowed for new members to contribute. “The new members on the team have contributed a lot of hard work to the team. They are getting faster and putting more effort into the workouts, and it is paying off in the races. I’m excited to see how they will do in future races,” says senior Olivia Di Santo.
Initially, the team got off to a slow start, but the team gradually improved later in the season. “We have yet to reach our full potential,” says junior Margot Bellon. “Coming out of summer training, it was made clear that most people didn’t have adequate endurance in our earlier meets, but over the course of the season, people are getting [personal records] and everyone’s improving.”
As for the Lady Dons, their season placed them fourth in CCS, giving them a chance to become the first women’s cross country team to make it to state championships. “This changes our approach to every practice and race because we look forward to seeing how our performances will impact our chances at making it to State,” says Di Santo. “There’s much more heart in the sport because we want to make history.”
“It’s a really rewarding feeling at the end when we all just collapsed on the ground and couldn’t move,” explains Song. “Those sort of challenges build up that team spirit and allows us to push each other to be better than we think we are.”
Both the boys and girls will compete in the PAL Championships on Nov. 7 on the Crystal Springs route. The following Saturday then, they will run in CCS with the girls having a chance to qualify for the State Championship.
