With the fall sports season wrapping up for the 2024-2025 school year, the Rancho Cucamonga High School Cross Country team had its second meet at Mt. Carmel. It gave the Rancho Cucamonga High School girls cross country team a chance to both enhance the skills that they have developed.
With the team running the Mt. Carmel Invitation, it was just the starting point of their season.
According to cross country coach Ms. Lizette Carrell, that particular race was by grade.
“Our junior boys won their race by twenty-two points,’’ Carrell said.
At Mt. Carmel, Senior Hannah Butterfield’s time was 24:21:1, where she was placed in eighty-third place and senior Braeyln Keisher’s time was 20:12:7, where she was in twenty-fifth. This put Rancho Cucamonga in eighth place with two-hundred and two points.
Butterfield’s season record was 20:37:2 at the Baseline League Preview Varsity meet where she had placed in fifth. This gave Rancho Cucamonga thirty-three points, putting them in first place.
“I chose to do cross country because I wanted to be able to do a sport where your success isn’t based on other people’s performance, but you are still part of a team that you do your best for,’’ Butterfield said. “My teammates, parents, and coaches motivate me all the time and I push myself to be the best for my team.’’
Keiser ran a season record of 19:23:1 at PR City Invitational where she placed in eighth place. This put Rancho Cucamonga in first place with fifty points for the meet.
“Communication is a hundred percent an important factor to the team, trust with each other especially when it comes to team bonding and being able to rely on each other,’’ senior Braelyn Keisher said.
While many individuals see the work that goes into staying determined throughout the season, it is no surprise that the questioning of what it is that keeps these players motivated. While RCHS’s cross country team may have different motivations and reasons for pushing themselves to keep going, it seems that others, especially those close to the runners would be the main reason for them striving to be their best.
With any team, there comes teamwork and collaboration which is important to any sport, regardless if the sport is more on individual work ethics. If a team does not have communication, cooperation, or any other factor, that team would be putting difficulties into the team.
“I think the team would endure some complications but in the end come together and still get things done,” Keisher said.
