Cross Country: The Passion
Lives On
by Stephanie Ringel
There’s something about
running that makes it different from every other sport. It may
be the heart wrenching agony one goes through to reach the finish
line or maybe the pounding of one’s feet to the ground.
No matter what the distinction is, it’s there. A runner
knows that once they cross that line, they have done their job;
they have finally finished. No other runners know this feeling
as well as Valley Christian’s cross country team. This team
puts their best foot forward to the very end, no matter how far
away the end may seem.
On October 2, Half Moon Bay High School was teeming with runners
ready to compete for the Artichoke Invitational. This course,
with its infamous hill, was a definite challenge for Valley, but
nothing is too tough for these determined runners. It was a race
toward the finish with Valley’s first runner, senior Kenny
Guertin crossing the line at 14:02, and sophomore Derek Bausek
coming in less than 30 seconds afterwards. The rest of the boys’
team soon followed leaving their competition in the dust. With
her heart beating as fast as she was running, freshman Dawn Tisdell
finished at 16:03, followed by senior Marisol Sarabia with a time
of 16:57. This 2.25-mile race proved challenging but not impossible
for the team. With hard work and self-discipline, they raced with
their whole heart to overcome the many obstacles put before them.
Valley Christian’s cross country team again had another
opportunity to represent Christ and their school on their Quest
for Excellence. On October 9, at the Crystal Springs Invitational,
this team showed their passion for Christ. Without most of the
seniors, due to SATs, the remaining team members had to give it
their all. Though struggling to pull through, each runner on the
team finished their race with Bausek leading Valley’s varsity
boys and freshman powerhouse, Tisdell, yet again leading the girls
in an awesome race. Each runner had to conquer this 2.95-mile
race on their own and every runner knew how great it felt to finish
this course.
On October 20, while on their way to Alum Rock, the first league
meet of the season, Valley’s runners anticipated the chance
of rain and knew in their minds this race would be far from easy.
This meet was a difficult course for the team due to the muddy
conditions and wearisome weather. Despite the massive amounts
of mud that had collected on the soles of his shoes, Valley’s
first runner, senior Justin Cates, speeded towards the finishing
line with a time of 17:04. Amazingly, Tisdell once more finished
her race first out of Valley’s varsity girls. After finishing
her race, sophomore Kylie Gifford recollected her thoughts of
this muddy course, “It was a new experience for me, but
it was so much fun and I would totally be willing to do it again.”
Coincidentally, she, along with the rest of the team, were able
to experience these same conditions at Golden Gate Park, the second
league meet of the season, which was held October 27.
After all the sweat and tears, this team always finds time for
each other. Whether it’s enjoying each other’s company,
working at a football game, or having dinner at a local restaurant,
these teammates can always be found laughing and having a great
time together.
