Cross Country Newsletter (9-28-2011)

Cross Country Newsletter (9-28-2011)

REVIEW: We enjoyed great weather and another outstanding week in cross country this past week. We enjoyed a good week of practices and performed very well at the Sunny Hills Invitational even though we were not especially pointing to this meet. We came away with many individual awards and very good team results. Our girls finished 1st overall in the 32-team meet and the boys finished 4th out of 32 schols. Additionally, in the individual races, the senior and junior girls came in 1st, the soph girls and frosh boys came in 2nd, and the soph boys came in 3rd.

I think our athletes performed well in this meet even though we had an emotional let down from our Invitational the previous week. Practically all of our returning athletes registered a better time this year than last year and even though the course is about 20 seconds or so slower than the Woodbridge invite course, many had PRs or very close to Prs for the season. Our boys ran 79:16 compared to the 81:27 in ‘10 and 81:30 in ’09, 82:23 in ’08, 84:11 in ’07. Our girls finished with a time of 92:36 compared to 96:20 in ’10 and 98:24 in ’09, 104:25 in ’08 (we were not at 100% though) and 98:46 in ’07.

Last week was the start of a two-week heavy-training period that will prepare us for our first league meet and OC Championships. This is a key period of the season for us! The heat will get in our way this week but we will try to do the best we can. We want to make sure that each day we come out ready (especially mentally) for this hard workout period. If we put in the effort now, we will reap the benefits later and be ready for the league meet as well as the Orange County Championships. Our team enjoyed one of the best workouts ever this past Thursday. For the first time this year, all of our varsity athletes were on the same page. We need this performance at every workout each of the reamining weeks of the season.

Also, at this time of the season, most of our athletes are getting somewhat tired from not only our workouts and races but also from the homework load and we are beginning to have some atheltes getting a little sick. We have invested a whole lot in our season thus far to take chances with it. It is extremely important that each and every athlete eats healthy, hydrates well, gets enough sleep, does not share water bottles, etc. and gets as much rest as possible. Colds and different diseases occur more often when our bodies are tired and vulnerable.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Nicole (Coco) Evans ran a strong, aggresive and positive race and faster this year than last year. With this kind of performance our team is that much tougher. Jackson Marshall enjoyed another strong race and has a new PR. Vastly improved runners were Bianca Moreno, Jared Klopfer, Marcos Tabb, Sage Klemak, Josh Thatcher, John Franklin, Alexis Abad and Cory Chesser. The “rookies of the year” were Elise Ulwelling ran a PR on a course slower than WHS) and Joseph Carrillo .

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

1. Yucaipa Invitational on Saturday at Yucaipa High School. WHS to I-5 North to 55 North to 91 East to I-10 East (towards Palm Springs) to Yucaipa Blvd (this is after the city of Redlands). Turn left. The school is on the left about 2 miles from the off ramp. We will have a bus for this meet also (keep the donations coming so that we can pay for it) and it will leave at 5:30am. Be here by 5:15am. You can bypass the longer route (taking the 55) and just take the CA-241 North (toll road) to the 91 East. The trip takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes on the bus and about 1 hour for the rest
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2. The schedule of races is:
• Girls Frosh/Soph - 8:10am Boys Frosh/Soph - 8:40am
• Girls Varsity - 9:10am Boys Varsity - 9:40am
• Boys JV - 10:10am Girls JV - 10:35am

3. We will be going to Oak Glenn after the meet for apples and to listen to Merle. Bring money for your lunch or prepare a picnic basket with your friends. Fried chicken and potato salad would be great. We will leave Oak Glenn at 1:00 pm or so to return to WHS at about 2:30pm.

4. Let’s continue to improve as we head into the critical weeks of the season. We have league meets and the Orange County Championships coming up in the next two weeks. We can afford to really pile up the work (even if we will be feeling sluggish) this next week to assure a strong finish to our season!

5. PSAT - This important test is scheduled on the same day as the O. C. Championships. There is an alternate date for this test. Please see Ms Taylor in the counseling office to sign up for this alternate date.

6. The following week we will have our League Cluster Meet on Thursday and a practice on Saturday. Make your social plans accordingly.

7. Anybody needing uniforms must see the equipment man at lunch or before practice during 6th period.

8. Anyone needing team lockers, cometo room E-202. Each of you should have a locker in the team room.

9. Invitational T-Shirts are now on sale for $7.00 (make checks payablet o WHS)

10. If a family would like to make a donation to help with bus transportation, please make the check payable to WHS.


**** Remember that the biggest obstacle to being great is to be good! We cannot be satisfied with being good or being ranked! Being satisfied with being good (collective mediocrity) robs each one of us of the precious talents that lie dormant in us. Let us aim to be the best!