By Callie Frias
This was yet another remarkable season for the Rialto boys’ and girls’ cross country teams; both teams qualified and competed for Division 1 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) southern section prelims at Mt. San Antonio College on November 15, 2024. There are two ways someone can qualify: Teams can qualify either as a group by placing in the top three at league finals, which is always held at Colton High School, or individually by finishing among the top 10 runners, even if their team doesn't make the top three.
The girls' team dominated the competition, finishing undefeated throughout the season. Meanwhile, the boys' team fought through the tough competition to secure second place. Both teams' strong performances at the league finals secured their spots in the CIF prelims. Senior Jasmine Garcia, who ran cross country since freshman year, reflects on the past and says, “Going to CIF has been so memorable for all 4 years because it shows how much dedication the team has to give it our all.”
Sophomore Sean Meas shares his perspective on running CIF for the first time, “Running CIF was scary and exciting because I didn’t know what to expect, but I had nothing to lose.” CIF is filled with incredibly fast runners, some of which are the best in the nation, to which Meas adds, “The atmosphere with the other fast runners was really chill. It pushed me to run harder and keep up with them. It was a very fun group to be able to compete with.”
Having a strong team starts with the friendship runners form aside from competing. Freshman Jose Machuca reflects on joining cross country this year, “My first year of cross country was a good experience. Although I was nervous at first, I would say that I was satisfied by the end of the season because I was able to meet new people and manage to make new friends”. The many talks while running at practices are runners favorite part of showing up to practices Garcia shares, “I’ll miss going on runs as a group with the team and the random conversations we have on those runs.”
Nonetheless, behind all the success, the coaches put countless hours into the team. The coaches would assign workouts to the runners every day at practice while encouraging them to push their limits. They are always there to offer guidance and celebrate the progress, making each athlete feel valued.
Cross Country challenges both an individual's mental and physical strength, but consistent training makes it easier. Eventually, running seems like a simple hobby on the side. Meas gives his insight, “Running was definitely more difficult when I was younger. Over time, it got easier as I got more athletic. The more conditioning I did, the easier running became.”
As with all the other sports out there, individuals definitely have some more strengths and weaknesses in Cross Country. Whether it’s from having better endurance than the rest of the competition or their sprint at the end of the race, nevertheless, Rialto’s strength as a whole would be their ability to work as a team to get a better placement.
The seasons in the past years have been incredible and are continuing to improve as time goes on. The ultimate goal is to continue pushing forward to get a spot in CIF again every year! It would be very much possible with the help and support of the community.
As the season ends, the team looks forward to welcoming new individuals next year. For any students interested in joining, Coach Marie encourages them to give cross country a try. Join the Google Classroom with the code B3RCTFC or email Coach Marie at malbert@rialtousd.org.
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