By BROOKE BAXTER
Staff Writer
Girls and Boys Cross Country prospered in their races at the Orange County Invitational at Oak Canyon Park on Saturday, October 19th.
Captain Collette Lowengrub placed first out of 100 runners for the Division 2 Girls Varsity race with a time of 18:10.4.
“What usually motivates me before my race is having all my friends there supporting each other.” In preparation for her races, Lowengrub said: “I… listen to music to clear my mind and help me focus”. 
Senior Captain Avery Klauke placed fourth behind her co-captain for University, with a time of 18:29.0.
“One of my biggest motivators is the fact that I’m never going to run that course again so I want to make sure I get as much out of each race as possible. My favorite part… is finishing a race and getting to cheer everyone on” Klauke said. 
The Boys Varsity team had a great race, likewise, as top runners: Junior Michael Blinstrub, Senior Raja Batra, Sophomore Quinlan Tobin, Senior Adam Gish, Junior Brandon Kershaw finished with times 16:14.2, 16:45.7, 16:49.2,  17:10.0, 17:17.0 respectively.
Junior Blinstrub said,  “I feel really motivated for the races to come, due to the fact I was able to run so well on a tough course,” Blinstrub said. “I just felt in a good mood right before [the race]. Knowing there was a giant hill at the start of the race just somehow got me energized and ready to run.”
When asked about his preparation for his race, Senior Captain Batra explained, “I [got] a good week of training in, before my race. I go into every race with the mentality of winning it… My favorite part is definitely competing with my friends like Ryan Duffy and Michael Blinstrub.”
The next Cross Country meet will be the Mt. SAC Invitational, taking place at Mount San Antonio College this Saturday, October 26.