Kendall McAlister
Staff Writer
The MVHS girls cross country team is sure to dominate their division this year. As one of the top teams in the country, carrying an Under Armour sponsorship, and many talented runners, success isn’t too far away. On September 15, the team had its first meet at Woodbridge in Norco, CA, and varsity runners scored fourth overall against over 350 other schools.
A day of practice for these competitive racers consists of a half a mile warm up to begin. Some runners will try to run it as fast as they can, but most stay at steady paces, talking with their friends as they run. After the jog, the runners will proceed to do “leg swings,” a way of stretching to prepare for the miles ahead. Since leg swings don’t take long, runners have time to get water, sit down, and talk with friends before the whole team is ready to go for a road run. On the road run, runners are encouraged to try their best, keep their pace, and improve overall. Road runs are extremely important to the training of the team, because they train for the distance, hills, and speed, while on the streets of Mission Viejo.
Last year, the team had an opportunity to compete at Orange County Championships, a race where only the best schools can compete. Kelli Hines achieved a school record at the meet,with a time of 17:41. This year, the Mission Viejo team hopes to run an even better time. They will accomplish this by training on hills, running longer distances, and doing more workouts.
An average race consists with runners arriving an hour or more early before they are ready to race. While they wait, they cheer on their teammates, warm up, stretch, and get familiar with the course they are about to run. After that, the runners take their place on the start line and arange to be in the best position possible. When they here they “Ready, set,” from the announcer they know they are about to start, and when the gun goes off, they sprint for as long as they can ,and fall back down to a steady pace.
Since the team is well known for its success and great speeds at races, Under Armour has decided to sponsor the cross country team. The girls will get Under Armour uniforms at a discounted price, as well as free shirts, bags, and other items beneficial to the team.They will be sponsoring the team as well as many other top running schools to support the schools’ talented girls in a sport that isn’t too often recognized.
The team is built for success, and nothing can stop them this year. They have more talented runners than ever, including freshman already qualified for varsity, seniors with amazing talents, and a very strong junior varsity team. The coaches are trying to push the team more than ever to achieve success, and considering the scores from the last meet and the previous years, success is sure to be in their future.
