The Oak Park High School boys cross country team is not shy about its ambitions this fall. Head coach Steve White has set the bar at the top of the podium of State finals.
“First, we’re going to win League, win CIF, and then yeah, be on the podium for State,” White said. “My goal is to win it. I think winning State is completely possible.”
That confidence stems from a strong summer of training, where new and veteran runners alike committed to grueling 7 a.m. sessions.
“They all embrace the challenge of getting up and running at seven o’clock in the morning and working hard so they can be successful,” White said. The focus, he explained, is on “building an aerobic base so later in the season, the kids are able to run faster for a longer period of time.”
The team’s cohesion is another key ingredient to a successful season.
“We have a lot of veteran leaders who are taking smaller groups and working with them,” White said. “I expect the team as a whole – and it is one big team that works very well together within those smaller groups – that they’ll come together when it really matters later this season.”
White credits the team’s Mammoth training camp for strengthening their community.
“You get to suffer with your teammates on the runs, you laugh with the teammates … and just kind of learn from each other. That builds a camaraderie … that can’t be substituted anywhere else,” White said.
However, even with the nearly two-month-long summer preparation, progress can be difficult to achieve without a positive group mentality.
“In the previous years, there wasn’t this universal drive for everyone to want to do more running, or run harder,” senior Kean Castaneda said. “But now … everyone wants to do the best they can. I think that really boosted the whole team.”
Last year’s results were nothing short of impressive: a sweep of the Coastal Canyon League, a win at the Ventura County Championships, a CIF D3 title and a second-place finish at State, ninth overall across all divisions.
“We put in so much hard work, and then seeing all the results when we actually race is really fun,” senior Ethan Marley said. “Now, we’re winning a lot more, which is also fun.”
With the CIF Finals, the Woodbridge
Invitational, and the always-competitive State meet already circled on the calendar, the Eagles have no shortage of challenges ahead. For senior Bridger Leith, however, the mental game is just as important.
“Cross country running is 90% mental,” Leith said. “It takes a lot of hard work to run with varsity and run like everyone on the team in general.”
If summer is any indication, Oak Park is prepared to do just that, and hopefully, as White says, “win it.”
