By: Quinn Hathaway

Media Production Manager 

The Los Gatos High School Cross Country Team is off and running, as they are several weeks into the season, and two meets are over. The team’s roster has evolved to include new freshmen and students from other grade levels, saying goodbye to its seniors from last year.

Cross-country preseason began several weeks before school started, yet many varsity athletes trained for most of the summer. Preseason included learning some of the routes, upping the athletes’ stamina, and starting to form bonds between the team members. This year’s cross country staff includes coaches Danielle Kelly, Geoff Elmore, Ibet Allan, Nick Goddard, and Dave LeRoy, with team managers Kate Kinczel and Arnav Mana. Each is in charge of different aspects, with some focusing more on strength, others on long-distance running, and others on organization. However, all seven work together to help the team run seamlessly.

This year, the cross country team is divided into four groups – ranging from novice to elite runners – but all runners are put into one of three heats for meets. Los Gatos’s cross country races typically include two or three miles and feature different numbers of heats. Runners had time trials and a timed 5k at the end of August, which determined spots for the first meet. As there are many new faces on the team this year, it showcased the original PR times for many runners and helped simulate a race environment. 

The most recent meet, the Jackie Henderson Invitational, featured all three heats, Freshmen/Sophomore (Frosh/Soph), JV, and Varsity, with a three-mile course. It was many runners’ first meet, and it went well for all who participated. Kiley Horwitz, a sophomore and first-time cross country runner, stated that she was pleased with her performance, PRing by four minutes with her finish of 20.54 minutes. She commented that “[Jackie Henderson] was super fun…everyone was so supportive and ran very well.” Sophomore Finn Allan placed the highest out of all Los Gatos runners, achieving second place in the Frosh/Soph race with a time of 15.45. Allan’s time was only one second behind the first place winner and 25 seconds before the third place runner.

The team is gearing up for many more meets, including the upcoming CCS trials, as well as fun team bonding events such as pasta feeds. Stephanie Zhou, a new freshman on the team, expressed her excitement for the upcoming pasta feeds, saying, “Everyone [on the team] has been so welcoming and I’m really looking forward to more team bonding, especially pasta feeds.” Piper Pyle, a junior and a captain of the girls’ team, noted that she is excited for the November meet, Clovis Twilight, which is a special race that happens during evening hours. 

With many exciting events coming up, the cross country team is hoping to build off the momentum of their strong start. Looking forward to more races and events, the team is ready to break records and make memories. The 2025 season is clearly off to a great beginning, and this year’s group of runners is sure to continue on an upward trajectory.