Written By: Allurabella Chandler, Staff Writer
SPEED: Now that the cross country season is underway, many of our athletes are accomplishing amazing feats in some of the toughest races of the season.
The 2024-2025 cross country season is starting off on the right track for both the boys and girls teams. Many of our athletes are on their way to breaking school records, and some have already broken records. The team is only three meets into their season, but they are working hard. That hard work is clearly paying off.
Our boys smashed the previous Poly boys aggregate record for the three mile made in 2019. The combined times of the top 5 runners at the Woodbridge Invitational was minutes faster than any previous in our school’s history. Furthermore, all of their top six runners achieved one of the top twenty fastest three miles in Poly history. Jace Deledonne (11), Micah Chandler (12), Owen Weems (12), Ares Grez (10), Beckett Sullivan (12), and Kien Biggs (11), made a breakthrough at this year’s 43rd Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic Invitational, not only breaking school records, but personal best as well.
Not only the boys accomplished many great things so far; the girls team is right on their tails. Both have been performing extremely well throughout the start of this season. The girls varsity team showed up and showed off at the recent Woodbridge invitational, setting personal records, as well as many getting onto the schools three mile leaderboard. Olivia Bollenbach (11), Lorena Munoz (12), Zoe Soriano (9), and Aryanna Gamboa (12) all ran their best at this competitive race, ending their races with tremendous speed.
This mentally challenging sport can have many ups and downs but one of the girls team captains, Olivia Bollenbach, believes that her “drive for competition” and will to better herself motivate her to run and be a better role model for the younger runners on the team. Jace Deledonne, now three mile record holder at Poly, states that “running with friends” is one of the most enjoyable things about cross country and his motivation to run is that it “benefits the body and mind.” Both of these athletes share a very special connection with their team and assert that they have the most fun when they are running with their teammates and friends.
The athletes’ challenging workouts have resulted in better results than they imagined. This season is predicted to have better results than any other previous year with how much growth the team has seen. Excited for the meets to come, the athletes are training eagerly for better results and pushing themselves past their limits. Everyone is on the edge of their seats and are waiting to see what this season has in store for them. This wonderful season will showcase how much progress has been made for the team over the past years and it is hard to sit back and watch in anticipation to see how well they do during their long, formidable races. Having only had three meets this season, our team is already going strong and showing just how much of a threat they are. This is just the beginning of this season, the Bears are working endlessly, putting in the work to create the future the want for Poly’s running program. With State Finals in their minds, the team is working hard to put themselves on the high school cross country map.