Cross Country at Quimby Oak - what a blast!
December 27, 2016. By Athena Rapinan
I joined my middle school cross country team to stay fit. It is a sport where I have to run long distances and compete in challenging courses against other runners. When I joined the team, I did not think I would do well. The outcome surprised me. I was one of the top runners in the 7th grade girls division which include ten to fifteen different schools, and number one 7th grade girl runner for Quimby Oak. For eight straight weeks, my team and I practiced four days a week, and had races once a week. For each practice and race, we ran between two to three miles.
The toughest race I competed in was the League’s Finals held at Christmas Hill Park located in Gilroy, CA. The runners in the League’s Finals were the best of their respective schools. Christmas Hill was also very hilly with almost 3 miles of unpaved path, and it is the longest and toughest course among all locations I competed in. Even though my cross country journey was really tiring, it was all worth it. Below are the highlights and results of my races.
Athena’s Cross Country Highlights and Results – Quimby Oak Fall 2016 Date Race Location Race Name Total School Competing Personal Time Division Rank - 7th Grade Girls 9/8/2016 Chaboya, San Jose, CA Chaboya Showdown 4 12:35 2nd 9/15/2016 Christmas Hill, Gilroy, CA South Valley Invitational 15 15:14 1st 9/22/2016 Christmas Hill, Gilroy, CA Solorsano Invitational 12 15:08 6th 9/27/2016 Montgomery Hill, San Jose, CA VC and Willow Glen 5 16:29 2nd 10/4/2016 Montgomery Hill, San Jose, CA Division Finals 7 16:36 3rd 10/13/2016 Christmas Hill, Gilroy, CA League Finals 15+ 14:26 4th
