Science teacher and boys head cross country coach John Tripp said the only way that the cross country runners could have done better this school year was if they had brought a friend.

Cross country is a sport in which you run a 3.1-mile race in a park against many other runners. Cardiovascular fitness is one of the major benefits of cross country and is often neglected unlike other forms of fitness like lifting weights, Tripp said.

The runners practice every day in order to get in shape for their races. Practice helps them through a progression of numerous workouts that start slower and evolve into faster runs so they can get better and be their best towards the end of the season, Tripp added.

South High sophomore Elizabeth Hernandez said her favorite part of cross country is having people she can rely on and having fun with them. She added that cross country is an opportunity to make friends with similar interests while working out.

Erik Ascencio, also a South sophomore, said he remembers a time when he came late to a race and did not have time to warm up or stretch and ended up having to race with no preparation. Luckily for Ascencio, he got a personal best during the race. Ascencio also said his family supports him by wishing him good luck and believing in him; this helps keep him motivated during his races.

This year, the cross country team had an amazing season with a ton of personal bests, Tripp said, including two state medalists: Sergio Martinez Cruz and Charlotte Gregor. Overall, more students from South High should look into joining Cross Country because it is filled with benefits, Tripp added.