The UC High Cross Country Team is roaring to go and tackle the competition this year. Though the team is in the early stages of the season, they are eagerly looking to break records.

   “I feel proud of my abilities and hope they improve throughout the season,” said Senior Max Lopez. Lopez hopes to improve each of his run times by at least a minute this season, and is proud to accomplish a solid time of under seventeen minutes for a three-mile run. The Varsity Team runs as little as three miles and as much as fourteen miles during daily practices.

   The competitiveness of the sport drives Lopez to overcome other runners, but the program has declined in available funds, which isn’t something Lopez is happy about. “The program doesn’t receive a lot of funding so it’s hard to go to meets without begging for money from our relatives and friends,” Lopez said.

   Cross country, like every sport, comes with its fair share of injuries. “The team is doing pretty well this season except a lot of people have been injured,” Lopez explained. “My least favorite part about Cross Country is being injured and having to run through the pain,” Lopez finished.

   Senior Qusay Lateef believes that cross country is rewarding because the runners see themselves constantly improving as athletes. However, a sport that requires a lot of exercise can be exhausting. “The injuries are the worst part about cross country,” Lateef exclaimed. “This is a tough sport and running every day can lead to a lot of different injuries.”

   Lateef worked hard over last summer in order to train himself to beat his previous run times. “My proudest accomplishment was the first time I ran a fourteen-mile run, because it’s crazy to look back and realize that a few years ago I could barely run a mile,” Lateef stated. “I hope to improve this year mainly in the three-mile race, because that’s what I’ve been training for this summer,” Lateef explained.

      Lateef enjoys the company and enthusiastic environment the team brings during races and practices. “I’m looking forward to the Sacramento Race, because in that race we stay in a hotel, and the team truly gets to bond with one another and share experiences,” said Lateef. “This sport has helped many of us stay fit and it has been enjoyable to experience what I did with the team,” Lateef concluded.

   According to a website about sports-related statistics, the 5,000-meter Foot Locker West Regional Championship conducted during the 2018-2019 season placed UC High Senior Mark Alfred in thirty-second place. At the time of this event, Alfred was only a junior, but the race proved what University City’s runners could accomplish. Other former junior students included the likes of Seniors Qusay Lateef, Bryce Keuker and Evan Newman, who ranked in the top 500 athletes along with Alfred (athletics.net).