The cross country team at Carlmont has a tradition of excellence, and the runners this year are determined to uphold that standard.
After their first meet on Sept. 11, the team had a taste of what the season has in store this year. “In the Carlmont open race, girls came in second place as a team. Varsity boys did well, taking the first, second and third place spots,” said junior Melanie Hamaguchi.
“We had a lot of younger runners this time,” said senior Michael Bereket, who took first place in his race. “It was a good first experience for the new runners on the team.”
The meet was held at Westmoor High School in Daly City. Some runners found the course to be a challenge, heightened by difficulties such as tough inclines and cold weather.
“I think I was too conservative with my energy because I usually blow myself out pretty quickly during practice. My personal long term goal is to build up my stamina,” said junior Shayan Mandegarian. “As a team, we’re all going to show up every day and put in hard work. We want to improve and try our best.”
Cross country is a sport that is both competitive and supportive. “In my experience, people cheer you on even if you aren’t on their team,” said Hamaguchi. “I think it’s out of respect for everyone’s endurance and participation.”
The dynamic of the Carlmont team follows this style of support. “A lot of members of my team who weren’t currently racing were cheering me on as I ran by them, which was awesome,” said Mandegarian.
With the first meet of the season completed, cross country now has an idea of the work they have in front of them this year. With a combination of practices and new runners, the team will take the experience and utilize it for the training and future meets ahead.
“Right now, there are some really good runners and some newer runners,” said Hamaguchi. “To help the team flourish, everyone is going to be working on improving both individually and as a whole.”
