Racing for the Top

Last week while homecoming festivities continued the varsity Cross country traveled down to San Antonio College to race in one of the largest cross country races in the nation. Over 50 teams per race and 200 racers in total. Many divisions for both highshool and middle school piled into the event and lived under the shadow of a sign that stands ontop of the track, “Where the world’s best athelets compete.” The pressure was on and the tension bulit as the hills increased in size. Mount Sac is sponsered by a major running brand names, the sports drink Gatorade has volunteers sit at the end of the race and hand out gatorade and protien bars.

When it came time to race Ducan Reid and Jordan Kost led the boys in a warm up run. They lined up on the line and the announcer said the famous lines, “Runners take your mark, Get Set” and the gun went off, the boys took off and challeneged the hills and switchbacks and the most challeneging Poop Out Hill. Duncan Reid came in 4th place overall in divsion 5. And the Bishop Bronco Boys took 9th team overall.

The girls set out on the warm up and evaluated the trails, watching the starts of the races before, and running past all the teams that lined the grass with tents and water jugs. We lined up with the little pink bracelts that marked us in for the division 5 race. Athelets jumped up and down to get last minute jitters out and others stretched and teams ran in their line to practice starting. It came time to line up completly and get into position and the Annoucer said, “Runners take your mark, get set” and the gun shot off, the take off was exhilerating, the airstrip stopped after 100 meters into the race and came on to the dirt rounds, the slight incline proved to be a great begginning. For some exhaustion struck in the middle of the switchbacks, for the strong they continued to push on. The down hill after the switchbacks it was time for the athelets to relax their posture and detensify from the begginng of the race. Medics and supervisors sat along the sides of the race to give athletes water and whatever medical attention was needed. The 2nd hill was another test of endurance and strength, athletes shortening their strides and quickening their arms to propel up the hills. The third and final hill the Brookes Running company sat at the top of the hill to encoursge everyone to finish the race. The end finally came back onto the airstrip and to the end as Gatorade passed out items to replenish the exhausted athletes. The race is one of the biggest in the nation and was an amazing acomplishment. The Bishop Union High School Girls team finished 3rd overall and recieved medals.

Brookes, Gatorade, Bishop Union High School, Bishop Cross Country, Mount SAC, Mount SAC Cross Crountry Invitational