Cathedral Catholic High School’s Girls Varsity Cross Country team started its season August 13, preparing for its upcoming meet September 5.

Some of the Varsity members had an earlier start to their season, and began running during the summer. All of the team members available during summer break had the opportunity to go to Big Bear for a week. There, the team ran several times daily and bonded through team-building exercises.

“At Big Bear, we would go for a run before breakfast and before dinner,” Varsity cross country runner, Erin MacNeil said. “Then we would do a fun activity afterwards. It was nice to meet new people and hang out with the team.”

Going to Big Bear helped prepare the Varsity runners. With many seniors on the team, Big Bear was an opportunity for them to grow closer with each other and bond as a team.

During the girls regular season, they practice daily for about two hours. Core workouts and stretching are a part of their daily workout plan. “So far we have been doing long runs, hill workouts, tempo workouts, and weight training,” Erin said.

The girls have been working hard, and are striving to reach their goal: to place high in CIF and League. Head Coach for Cross Country Mr. Dan Geiger hopes, if nothing else, the girls do their best and have a great time this season. “My goal is to have every kid have a good time running cross country and have them reach their potential,” he said.