After a summer of hard work and conditioning, the boys cross country team is ready to take on its upcoming season. Head Coach Steve White has high hopes for his team.
“They understand the rigors of cross country and what it takes to be successful,” White said.
Despite being new to the school and sports program, the freshmen are adapting and keeping up with the pace of high school through the mentoring of their upperclassmen runners.
“The freshmen have teammates on the junior and senior level who have set an example for them all summer and so far into the school year,” White said.
Last season, the team made it to CIF state for the first time in nine years, inspiring the team to aim higher this season. They have set a goal to finish top three in the state and to win the Southern Section.
“We are looking to succeed this year,” senior Grant Jones said. “We want to be the best cross country team Oak Park High School has ever had by making the podium at state.”
Due to a lack of seniors in the cross country program last season, the varsity team will hold a similar roster to last year’s. With this extra team experience, goals are set higher and seem achievable to the team.
“Frankly, it’s quite possible as we’re returning all of our top runners from last year, and we’re a lot stronger than we were at this point last season,” senior Enzo Crivelo said.
To achieve their goals, Jones understands he needs to keep his teammates concentrated.
“Our team will need to focus on collective effort and uniting for a singular long term goal of placing at state,” Jones said.
Supporting one another through the heat and pain of running is crucial for keeping morale high. Luckily, the team is a tight-knit community, keeping one another accountable and strong.
“Nothing is more true in cross country than the term suffering together. If fellow teammates are working hard to succeed alongside you, it is much harder to fail,” Jones said.
