Rafe Anderson, Kathleen Lambe and Aine Pitillo were chosen as athletes of the week for the week of Sept. 8, 2025. 

Freshman Kathleen Lambe was chosen as one of the three cross country athletes of the week. 

“I think that one of the main reasons I stood out for Athlete of the Week was that I won out of all of our team as a freshman,” Lambe said. “I was very surprised at how well I did, along with our team. We ended up winning because of how amazing our whole team did.”

Since the start of the season, there have been multiple meets and countless practices. 

“The highlight of my season so far was my first race at Cool Breeze,” Lambe said. “Everyone there was so supportive, and the vibes were so fun and up. Everyone was so excited and pumped up about the races, as well as me.” 

As a freshman, Lambe hasn’t experienced many different types of meets, but the OPHS cross country team was incredibly supportive. 

“Since that was my first high school race, also my first night race, I was super nervous but I soon realized that it was the most exciting race I had ever been in,” Lambe said.

Everyone knows that being a student athlete is not an easy feat, especially in a sport that requires daily practice. 

“We sometimes have running in the morning, even before school, and also after school, so that means I’m sometimes there from about 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” Lambe said. “I always try to get my homework done during school so I can relax when I get home and deal with whatever else I 

I need to do it. I also always try to make time to study.”

Lambe uses external encouragement from her family to constantly push to be better.

“My dad and my teammates are mainly the ones that motivate me to keep pushing myself,” said Lambe. “The reason for this is that my dad was also a runner and is as supportive as my teammates. They are so fun to hang out with outside of running as well and while running.”

The second athlete of the week was Rafe Anderson.

“I think what helped me stand out as an athlete of the week was my hard work and training to reach these times in the season so far in my races,” Anderson said. 

Hard work in practice paid off in meets, especially the last one Anderson raced at.

“The highlight in my season so far was my last race at the Moorpark Invitational,” Anderson said. “I broke 16 minutes in the 3-mile race, which I am extremely proud of.”

Balancing school and practice is important to Anderson.

“I balance out cross country and school by focusing on school while I’m in school and then focusing on cross country when I’m practicing, ” Anderson said. “Then once I get home, I finish my homework and spend time with my family to keep everything balanced.”

The people in Andersons’ life encourage him to continue to do his best. 

“I feel like my parents motivate me to keep pushing, and so do my teammates and my girlfriend,” Anderson said. “They all always want to see the best of me in my sport and what I can achieve throughout the season.”

Last but not least, freshman Aine Pitillo was the final athlete of the week. 

“I think my positive attitude towards teammates, coaches and challenging workouts helped me get athlete of the week,” Pitillio said. 

Just like her two teammates, Pitillo uses her own ways of balancing school and practice.

“I try to prioritize school work and do it as soon as possible,” Pitillio said. “This way I can perform my best athletically and attend as many practices as possible.” 

The best part of her season so far was a memory she can share with all her classmates. 

“The highlight of my season so far was winning Cool Breeze as a team,” Pitillio said. “The environment and excitement in all of us were so special to me.”