Northgate High School’s Boys and Girls Cross Country team experienced a season packed with excitement, disappointment, learning, and growth.
Last year both teams succeeded beyond their goals, and for the first time in 17 years competed at the State Meet in Fresno. With no seniors graduating, the girls went on to even greater heights this season, 1st at the famous Mt SAC invitational in Los Angeles, an individual win for Team Captain Megan Malloy, 2nd in League, 3rd at NCS, and finally 12th at State. In contrast our boys graduated five seniors and were looking to rebuild this year around fast juniors, Robert Benard and Nick Knisley. In a rebuilding year, the boys then suffered a succession of blows brought on by illness and injury, but battled through to come in 7th at NCS and had their team represented at State by one qualifier, Robert Benard.
They learned to build their own community through an unwavering daily commitment to something challenging and difficult. Showing up since summer training in June for tough long efforts in the hills around Shell Ridge, Lime Ridge and Castle Rock, or after a long day in the classroom. They learned to support each other during these moments, and found a deep emotional connection through that shared suffering building friendships and bonds that will stand the test of time.
The girls felt that connection and used it to transform themselves into warrior selves before each race. That tense hour before racing they could be seen forming a bubble braid train, standing, kneeling or crouching in a row, with rainbow bands in hands sculpting their hair into a unified look. When the job was done they would sprinkle glitter for the finishing touch, dabbing it Alexi Pappas style like fairy dust. Their new identity endowing special powers, and protecting them from the pain of running fast and long in searing heat. As the season unfolded, even the boys were asking for glitter, seeing the changes the transformation could bring.
These athletes learned to love what you do even on the days your body can’t hold the pace and you are spun off the pack halfway and have to hold on as best as you can; when that cold or cough you thought you had finished with decides to return with a vengeance mid race and your breathing and lungs are ragged and coarse.
They learned to try, and then actually become happy, for teammates when everyone medals or scores a PR except you – knowing it is about the running not the shiny bauble.
They learned the emotional flexibility that comes when at 4.45 pm the evening before NCS, in a blink of an eye you run through all four of your alternates, as illness and injury strike and your teammates are ending their season a day early, facing bitter disappointment and loss instead of anticipation.
You learn that you can run the race of your dreams at the highest stress meet of the year and still miss a spot at State by one runner, one second or one breath. But you still keep going forwards because you love the run, love to improve, and the people you get to do it with each day.
You learn that sometimes you feel better than you ever imagined and that the weather is perfect, your legs are limitless, and the only pain is in your lungs and its the searing exhilarating kind of pain that you brought on yourself because you needed to feel it and you knew that it had to hurt for you to feel your own edges.
You learn that even if you are having an incredible season the repetitive blunt trauma of striking the ground with your feet hundreds and thousands of times a season might yield tendonitis, stress fractures or season ending injuries. It keeps you humble and part of a community that does everything it can to avoid injury but at the same time accepts it – because this contact sport with the earth is worth it.
You see a universe of data and competitors’ race times online, glamorously fast workouts on social media and Strava and remember that none of it matters as you are only comparing yourself to the person you were at the start of the day.
You know that everything you learned this season will inform you for the rest of your life and that you learned it all with the people you will care for the most.
By Ruth Seabrook, Head Coach, Northgate Cross Country