Woodside’s cross country team competed on Saturday, Nov. 15, as 10 Woodside runners competed in the Central Coast Section (CCS) Division II cross country championship.
Woodside’s boys cross country team and three members of the girls teams competed at the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course in Belmont on Saturday, Nov. 15. Woodside’s boys team placed 12th overall in their division, and the girls team did not have enough runners to place as a team.
Freshman Dania Arjona, who finished with a time of 21:54, was happy to see her team, as well as herself, succeed.
“We were proud of ourselves,” Arjona said. “We made some goals [for] ourselves, personal goals, and we met them.”
After many runners secured new personal records on the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course, Arjona reflected on her team’s season.
“[Our season] went very good,” Arjona said. “I saw a lot of improvement, too. Personally, and in other people.”
For Arjona, improvement like this can come from learning as the season progresses. Arjona remembers one specific lesson she’s learned this year that stuck with her.
“No matter how far things seem, it’s never impossible,” Arjona said.
Sophomore Kiefer Schultz finished with a time of 16:07 at the CCS championship.
“I had a pretty good personal record (PR) on this course,” Schultz said. “I think it wasn’t my best race, but it was definitely a good step in the right direction as a team.”
For Schultz, the challenging aspect of this race was the mental aspect, which he believes to have hindered his performance.
“I found a way to get around [the mental challenges] and push past it a bit,” Schultz said. “But I think the time doesn’t reflect the fitness that I have, which is why I was a little disappointed.”
However, Schultz believes he still had a good race, and he remembers one moment in particular.
“Coming into the second mile, I felt really strong, and I think I sped up during that second mile, and I think that definitely made the race,” Schultz said. “I think I definitely moved up 15 places in that mile, which was pretty sweet.”
Even though the season is almost over, the cross-country season has left a lasting impact on Schultz and his teammates.
“As a team, we’re all very positive and supportive of each other, and that brings up a super strong community,” Schultz said. “And we’re friends, outside of school, because of cross country, and just seeing my teammates there at the [finish] line gives me motivation and helps me really see how fun the sport is, and it keeps me positive throughout the race.”
