High hopes for Oak Park cross country team

The+girls+cross-country+team+enjoys+team+bonding+time+at+the+Mammoth+trip+%28Staff+Photographer%2FTalon%29..

The girls cross-country team enjoys team bonding time at the Mammoth trip (Staff Photographer/Talon)..

The cross-country team has one goal for the new season: “To see both boys and girls teams make it to state,” Al Calce, the head coach since 2012, said.

This goal has been partially accomplished in the past. In 2014, the boys’ cross-country team did make it to state.

Senior Jake Whealen, a team captain, said he expects the team to continue its strong performance.

“The team has prepared for the season by committing to hard work and excellence,” Whealen said. “We know exactly what we want to achieve and we know exactly how to achieve it. We just need to execute and we do that by running hard and leaving it all out on the trails.”

Junior Paige Creason is likewise enthusiastic about the team’s prospects.

“Each individual person on the team coming together as one and everyone working together and putting in all their efforts each day which will in the end get us to state,” Creason said.