From the beginning of the school year, St. Augustine’s cross country team has been working tirelessly in order to improve their running and win competitions. Now that the leaves have fallen and the season has closed, we should recognize the journey the team has taken and what they’ve accomplished.
Team practices were held three days a week after school. Each member would run around the neighbourhood, around the track, and up and down the hills behind the school. Distances varied by division, but on average each runner covered over 5km of ground a day! It looked exhausting, and most agree that it is, but it was the only proper way to train for the moments that counted.
Despite feeling more like an individual sport, cross country is also a team sport. In order to succeed, each member must support one another. They train together, push one another to their limits, and pace one another. From a more competitive point of view, every individual passed in a race counts towards your team score and the teams with the best scores advance. At the end of the day, runners want to place the best they possibly can and beat their records, even if it means passing a teammate.
According to runners, cross country is an effective way to calm one’s mind and thoughts from stress, allowing them to focus on the sound of sneakers hitting the asphalt and maintaining good pace. Running is also a good way to stay active, spend time with friends, and form new relationships. Some love the feeling of crossing the finish line and saying “Yeah, I did that,” while others don’t think about the race and instead focus on pushing themselves and improving.
Their first event, the Deighan’s Invitational XC Meet, was held on October 16th at Boyd Conservation Park. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a cold and rainy day with pessimal track conditions such that runners would slip and slide left and right. Runners returned to school with ruined shoes and mud all over themselves. In the moment it was a rough meet, but without a doubt, those who participated would remember the race on October 16th and have a good laugh. The YRAA competition was held on October 24th and at the same location, however, this time the conditions were near perfect. The air was brisk and the ground was dry, making it perfect for runners to perform their hardest and set personal records. For some this would be their final competition, however, the most agile runners would advance to the OFSAA competition, where they would go head to head against runners from all across Ontario.
Representing St. Augustine at the 2019 cross country OFSAAs was the Novice girls team, Junior girls team, and Ria Jayaram as an individual runner. Being situated in Sudbury, our teams were welcomed by a track covered in a blanket of snow and ice. The crowds were larger, the competition was tougher, and for all, it was their first time running in the ice-cold. The only thing keeping them warm was the adrenaline and excitement rushing through their bodies which were released by the sound of the pistol. Unfortunately, despite pushing themselves to their limits, our runners were not able to out-compete the fierce competition and the season ended at the OFSAA competition.
Finally, let’s not forget to thank Ms. Ferrante, Ms. Chiaravalloti and Ms. Vani for taking time out of their day to make a runner’s dream a reality. Without a doubt, our team could not have made it this far without them. Congratulations to our cross country team, and we hope that they continue running and we’ll continue supporting them with every year!
By: Andy Li
Titan Times 