Cross Country Information

Cross country running is a sport that welcomes all athletes of all abilities.  While we have a long history of individual and team state titles, the true focus of our program is individual improvement.  We will work with any athletes, regardless of their fitness level, and design workouts for them that are challenging, yet appropriate to their abilities.  All of our athletes can expect steady progress over the season, improving their general health and fitness, and becoming progressively more successful in interscholastic competition.

There is the opportunity in many of our races to compete at either the JV or Varsity level, however the split is not done along traditional age lines.  In cross country, the top seven runners on the team are by definition the Varsity team, and all of the others, regardless of age, are the JV team.  This is a very fluid distinction, as it is constantly influenced by race results.  All of the runners -- Varsity and JV, girls and boys -- train together, though the workouts are adjusted to the fitness and ability levels of each athlete.

Our season goes from late August to early November, and over that time period a typical runner’s race time improves between five and fifteen percent (normally the newer runners get the higher percentages).  But whether that percentage improvement is enough to make an individual competitive at the Varsity level depends on the starting point.  No one can expect to sit around all summer and be an individual State Champion based solely on work during the season.  So if an individual wants to be successful at the Varsity level, it is vital to stay very physically active in the summer, preferably by going on daily runs. 

But whether you manage to train during the summer or not, everyone is welcome in August.  If all you can run is half a mile, then that is where we will start you.  The workouts will never be more than you can handle.  You will become a part of a close-knit group and form friendships that will last through high school and beyond.  It’s the toughest sport you will ever love!

Coaches Mark Chaplin, Kathy Topping, and John Ostler