The Carlmont Scots junior varsity boys cross country team fought to a fourth-place finish at their second Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) meet at Crystal Springs on Wednesday, Oct 8.
Following a previous second-place finish at their first PAL meet, the Scots have pushed through their first few races, even following the departure of several key seniors.
“We’re not far off where we want to be, I think that there are a couple of teams that need to push a little harder,” said Carlmont cross country coach Josh Schaefer. “I’d say we’re a little off pace, but not bad.”
Carlmont started the race strong and maintained a solid pace, finishing well in the top half. Although the result wasn’t ideal, the team is focused on improving and fine-tuning their race strategies in the future.
Only finishing two points behind Aragon, all five of the Scots’ scoring runners finished in the top 25. Crystal Springs presents its own set of challenges for runners, with several steep sections throughout the course.
“There’s a very high-speed first mile, which can make you start out too fast, and then at the end of the first mile, there’s a huge hill which discourages a lot of people,” said junior Wyatt Daru.
The mental aspect of cross-country is incredibly important, with pacing and focus playing a significant role in a race. Meets can be challenging, but they can also be incredibly rewarding.
“I like to challenge myself to always get faster times,” said senior Theodore Mui. “It’s a fun experience being with the team and doing these challenging long-distance courses together.”
Cross-country is a largely mental sport, where athletes must push through physical and mental discomfort, persevering through exhaustion. One of the ways the Scots work through this is by supporting and pushing one another to improve and achieve better results.
Throughout the race, many runners who had already finished their races cheered on their teammates during the most challenging sections, especially near the finish line, encouraging them to finish strong. The team’s supportive and positive culture, helps enable them to continue improving and achieve better results.
“It’s a competition, but it’s cooperative competition,” Schaefer said. “Everybody wants to make everybody better. I think our team culture is pretty accepting of all types of people and all runners and all speeds.”
The culture and the group draw athletes to the sport, allowing them to grow and compete with friends throughout the season.
“Freshman year, I did it because my friends were doing it,” Daru said. “I really like the program, I like the people, and I like the coach.”
Cross country is a sport full of tough challenges, both physical and mental. The Scots have fostered a supportive community that helps one another reach their goals.
“I think my goal is to have every one of these kids still run when they’re my age or even older, and I think the goal would be to have them learn life lessons in the context of a team sport,” Schaefer said. “I think a lot of what they learn in this team and a lot of what they learn about running and themselves will help them for the rest of their life.”
