Cross Country prepares for their meets by doing workouts like speed and hill drills to help build up endurance. Six to eight mile runs at 5:15 in the morning are not uncommon considering that is when they have practice.
The girls’ and boys’ OHS cross country teams are both running well this season. The girls have been standing out with their performance and have greatly improved since last year. They will be competing in sweepstakes, which is above varsity.
In an e-mail, Coach Mike Lauch said that Kyra Lopez, Sebastian Kwit and Shauri Thomas are really standing out this year. Lopez because she is in the elite status of AZ distance runners. Kwit is on the verge of doing the same and continues to improve. Thomas for her outstanding improvement and performance.
According to sophomore Stepahnie Britting, Kyra Lopez finished in 4th place at the Ojo Rojo meet. Shauri Thomas also received a medal for her 12th place finish. The girls’ varsity team finished 5th overall.
Sebastian Kwit, senior, feels that the girls have a strong team. According to him, the girls are competitors for state.
Lauch says that the girls have been performing well, but they have been decimated by injuries. If some girls can get back up on their feet by the time state comes, they will be in the top five team in division 1.
“I like cross country because you just run, you work hard every day. We do our best at the meets and give 100 percent,” said Fernando Mereno, sophomore.
One of their biggest races is tonight at Desert Twilight which is ran on a golf course under lights. The coach expects to get the best times of the year out of this race.