Varsity:
In the wake of the fall sports season, there is one team that trains vigorously through hills and valleys as early as when the sun rises. Taking place amongst the highly acclaimed sports at OHS is cross country, known for its endurance in long-distance running.
The varsity cross-country team’s training begins during summer break and stretches into the fall season. There is a limited variety of drills and exercises that these athletes can do to prepare for their meets, so the team’s practices and meets are largely composed of running.
“For a meet, it’s a 5K, so it’s 3.1 [miles], but we also do warmups, which is another mile. Then, after the warmups, we have our race, and after our race, sometimes we would have our cooldowns, and that’s another mile, so we run like five miles a day,” said Lydia Mosley, junior.
One major factor that sets cross country apart from every other sport is that practices occur at the break of dawn. Many of these athletes wake up at four in the morning to participate in their rigorous training.
“It’s rough sometimes because you’re waking up and it’s dark out and you show up to school and it’s dark out and you’re tired, but it just takes time. After a few weeks of going to bed at eight o’clock every night, you get a good sleep schedule, and you kind of get used to it,” said Penelope Porter, sophomore.
However, these early morning practices are also what genuinely bind the athletes together, creating one of the most uplifting team environments at OHS.
“Something about the fact that we’re all sacrificing a lot of sleep just brings the team together. We just spend so much time together that we form a community, almost like a cross country family,” said Cooper Riding, senior.
The team’s coach also plays a role in building this environment. By pushing the students to run their hardest and by taking part in difficult moments, Coach Kellen Chavez gives the cross country team the encouragement they need to continue.
“Chavez is always there for us. He’s there with us on those runs, suffering with us. That kind of helps us form a bond with him, and he’s always there through the thick and thin,” Riding said.
Moreover, the coach understands the crucial role social groups play in motivating athletes during their rigorous practices. With this knowledge, he helps build up this positive environment for the team.
“It’s not like [the students] grew up necessarily wanting to be distance runners, so with that, you have to enjoy the people that you’re around… We have great kids; they’re all super high-achieving, high-aptitude kids, so if you can build those relationships, then the work is something that they look forward to,” said Kellen Chavez, cross country coach.
Participating in this ritual of repetitive running in the early morning is challenging for anyone. However, one major benefit athletes receive is the mental growth that follows long-distance running.
“I feel like it also can help me mentally, even in school, just knowing that ‘hey, I can run this many miles. If I can run for two hours straight, then I can easily do this ACT,’ or whatever. It makes everything so much simpler,” Mosley said.
JV:
Cross country is one of the sports that builds character in the long run. Despite all the challenges and mental blocks, the JV team learns to persist and reap the rewards of this perseverance.
“Mentally, it sucks. It’s just running, it sucks, it’s never gonna be fun. But getting through it and finishing your run is always so satisfying, so you push through,” said Barrett Doyle, sophomore.
Over the 2024-2025 season, the seniors had played an important role in fostering the team. However, after graduation, it is up to the new athletes in JV to take initiative and grow their team.
“The seniors who graduated made the underclassmen step up a little bit. It used to be the seniors, they would set the tone of practice, but now it’s mostly sophomores at cross country, so we set the tone,” Doyle said.
The new leaders have been successful in filling up empty gaps and maintaining a positive environment; newcomers on the team find a sense of community and belonging as they adjust to a new school.
“Everyone’s really welcoming and super nice to everyone. We all cheer each other on,” said Kourtney Moniz, freshman.
Running is an overall exhibit of the athletes’ character: endurance, accountability, and honesty. Cross country equips the students for these characteristics, whether they are running through the valleys and hills or out in the community.
“I know other sports are individual, but cross country is really individual and in on you because even if you show up to practice, you can easily be like, ‘I don’t want to run today, [or] I’m injured…’ While in other sports, if you give up, they’ll literally kick you off the team or not let you play. For cross country, it’s a hundred percent on you to choose: if you’re gonna run that day, how hard you’re gonna run that day, and how far,” said Lydia Mosley, junior.
