On Sep. 15th, Glen A. Wilson’s cross country team will be competing in the 41st annual Woodbridge Cross Country invitational.
The second race of the season will consist of over 100 schools racing against each other.
In preparation for the race, Coach Gomez says, “It has been very straightforward. We have a policy in place, a process if you will. We make sure we build a foundation and add some speed work as we progress. We want to make sure that everybody is staying healthy and we do not want to over-train or undertrain. So it is really a fine balance when making sure that we are getting the right training from week to week with the intention of peaking at the end of October as we move into the league championships.”
From the perspective of one of the athletes on the team, senior Alyssa Trejo states, “I have been eating really healthy and stretching a lot to make sure I am fully ready for race day. Not only that, but I am mentally preparing by envisioning myself in the race and what I’m planning to do if I’m behind or want to catch up to the person in front of me.”
The cross-country team here at Wilson works hard to prepare for the upcoming big day. Not only by maintaining good habits but by maintaining their good grades.
Senior Bellai Sandoval shares, “School definitely does interfere with my sport at times. I have to work ahead of my schedule. That is why it is vital to me to know when things are so I can plan ahead. However, for the most part, I do not let it get in my way as it is up to each person if they are going to let their sport consume them. I think it would be a lot harder to keep up, but if you are a responsible student then I am sure you can manage.”
With every race comes new experiences! There are many things to look forward to, especially amongst each athlete.
“I am just really looking forward to all of the races and having fun with all my teammates and cheering everyone on as they cross that finish line! It is definitely the highlight of the race to see everyone individually finish.”, says Trejo.
Bellai adds to Trejo’s excitement with some wise words for the athletes, “Keep fighting, the body will not accomplish what the mind doesn’t think is possible. You have to think it’s possible if you want to do things. Even if you end up not accomplishing your goals, the fact that you were able to push through and exceed your expectations by just a little bit and impress yourself is what counts.”
The invitational is something the whole team is excited for as they approach the first league race on Sep. 22nd. Good luck to our amazing Cross Country athletes!
