Sports

UHS Cross Country Takes on the Woodbridge Classic

Jimmy Tang, Staff Writer

October 10, 2023

After all the stretching and instructions received by both the captains and coaches, the team heads off for their long run across the street. They are about to embark on a difficult journey that will put their endurance and cooperation to the test.

The UHS Cross Country team is off to a great start in the 2023 season with outstanding performances at the 42nd Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, which took place on Sept. 16. Since the departure of many seniors last year, the current junior class has stepped up as the top competitors of the team. Two of the runners, Jackson Young and Silas Whiteson, placed in the top five of the boys’ varsity race (4th and 5th respectively), ranking in the top 25 in UHS Cross Country history.

Young, who ran a personal best of 15:24, was satisfied with breaking the 16-minute barrier.

“This is the best race of the season,” Young said. “The atmosphere is great and I’m glad a lot of our guys have recorded a new PR for themselves.”

Junior Kyle Shen, who was seconds away from claiming a varsity spot, added his thoughts on the meet.

“Our team has a lot of promise,” Shen said. “The junior class is very strong and three of our freshmen are catching up to the varsity cutoff time.”

On the girls’ side, senior captain Kaitlyn Carmichael, who participated in the sweepstake division (the highest level) of the meet, was unsatisfied with her time of 18:05. She is currently recovering from an injury, and looking to reclaim her dominance in the Pacific Coast League (PCL).

In total, 96 runners from the UHS Cross Country team participated in the race. The season lasts from early September to November, a two-month-long period with seven to nine races. Every day at 2:30 p.m., the runners gather at the pickleball court to get ready for practice. Normal days of practice range from three to seven miles. On Monday, the team does practice runs and sprints at Mason Park. On Friday, the team runs a shorter distance of one mile to prepare for the race. Cross Country Head Coach Eric Davies often runs with the team after school.

Cross Country is a sport requiring both mental and physical endurance. Although the fastest runners win medals and score the most points, the time of each runner matters towards the overall team ranking. Overall, the UHS Cross Country team deserves great praise for their hard work, and we are all wishing them the best of luck in the PCL.

Donate to Sword & Shield

$180

$1000

Contributed

Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of University High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributor

Arta Bolourchian, Photographer/Graphic Artist

Im a sophomore 10th, I am a staff photographer and I am in P&G. What I look forward to this year is to improve my skills in photography and honesty get good grades on my other classes too. During my free time i do love to do nature photography i also love sports, I mainly do a lot of work for modeling and for Karate tornament so I would mainly say im a pretty active and multitasking person!