Cross country looks to State Finals

The boys varsity cross country team narrowly lost the Prep League for the second year in a row while the girls have improved greaty since last year.

By DANIEL WOHL
Staff writer

Last Friday, the boys and girls cross country teams raced in the culminating Prep League event of the season: The League Finals. Entering the meet with a shot at the league title, the varsity boys intended to solidify their position as the best Prep League team after finishing the highest of all the league teams at last year’s state championships. With strong performances all around, including a great run from soph­omore Chris Marks, who fin­ished eleventh, the boys finished second, one point behind first place Flintridge Prep. Addition­ally, the JV boys won the league finals, a closing exclamation on a great season. Finally, the var­sity girls, who needed a fantastic race in order to make CIF play­offs, accomplished their goal to enter the postseason for the 18th time in the last 19 years, after last season’s hiatus.

From the outside cross coun­try seems to be an individual sport, but coach Rick Caragher strongly disagrees: “Cross country is a team sport. Success is based on the entire team. If we had two All-Americans on the team, we still would not be a successful team. Cross country requires five to seven guys running as a collective unit. If one guy is off, even slightly, then another team with the best five to seven runners will prevail.”

Despite this emphasis on team unity, certain individuals have cer­tainly been foundations upon which the success of the team has been built. For the boys, Daniel Silver has proven to be a major contribu­tor to the team’s success. Silver’s fantastic results, such as becoming the first Poly runner to break the prestigious 15 minute barrier, have bolstered the team in their journey to the playoffs. Caragher credits much of Silver’s achievements to the inspiration and competitiveness that he and teammate Jeff Hemphill have stimulated in each other. For the past three years, the two have pushed each other farther than ei­ther believed possible. Also, Car­agher insists that Silver is not afraid of pain, allowing him to push him­self more than others.

On the girls’ side, seniors Ally Latta and Jenny Lamb have been the two leaders, paving the way for the rest of the girls during these rigorous races.

Coach Caragher believes that much of the teams’ success can be attributed to rigorous sum­mer practices. During the sum­mer, the team ran at six o’clock each morning. Some also trained in the late afternoons. In addi­tion, Caragher says that during the summer, the runners “built a solid aerobic conditioning base. They have remained motivated throughout the season. The will to win is not enough; one must have the will to prepare to win. They have kept the will to pre­pare a top priority.” Lastly, all the athletes will concur that the ability to focus is of utmost im­portance in order to achieve. To be successful in Cross Country, one must focus entirely on the task at hand—blocking out all dis­tractions and the body’s tendency to stop. The most successful run­ners are in top shape and can focus for 15-22 minutes at a time. In the weeks to come, both teams will race in the CIF playoffs. For the girls, Caragher believes the goal is to reach the CIF finals, which would serve as a fantastic feat to add to a great comeback season. The boys hope to run well enough at the State Finals to “make the po­dium,” or make the top three teams, like last year. No matter what, Car­agher says that the teams “will tip their hats to their opponents, know­ing that we made them run the best race of their lives.”