From 6:30 a.m. practices to running in 100 degree heat, the Cross Country team has endured all types of weather, helping them prepare for one of the nation’s biggest running events.

After the girls placed third and the boys placed fourth at state last year, the team is striving for a new goal, hoping to win the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Irvine, California tomorrow. The Woodbridge Cross Country Classic is known as one of the top meets for runners and the school is going into its 39th year hosting the event. According to  varsity runner junior Jack Woods, training and mindset are going to be the key to being successful at this prestigious event.

“We’ve dialed our training down the last two weeks, especially this week so that our legs and body can be well rested and go out and race the best possible,” Woods said. “Mentally I’m not that nervous yet, but it’s not our last race and [it] doesn’t define our season, so [I’m] just not trying to focus on it being the end.”

Woods, who has been running for more than 10 years, is taking this as an opportunity to prove that his work has paid off and hopefully hit the times needed to run in college in the future.

“I started running when I was four, so it’s been a while of running, and I can’t imagine my life without it right now,” Woods said. “I’m looking into colleges, hoping to go to the second best team in NCAA for XC, Brigham Young University, so I hope I can hit the times needed to run in college.”

The meet is a two day long event, with the varsity team competing on the second day, where there are only elite races or invite only races. Because the team will be competing in the more competitive portion of the event, individual goals are being set high, according to varsity runner junior Bennett Woolsey.

 “It is a chance for me to prove that I can get up there with some of the guys in the top group of the race,” Woolsey said. “As a team we want to surprise other teams and see where we stack up against nationally ranked teams, and what we need to do moving forward to surpass them. My goals individually are to finish at 15:10 for the three mile, and try to finish second for Cedar Park, close behind Jack. As a team, I want to get top three in our race and get a trophy.”

Woolsey, who is newer to the sport, has put in more work recently in order to compete at a high level. Woolsey said that he is also hoping this race will help him decide if he wants to run in college.

“I’ve been running since freshman year,” Woolsey said. “I did a little bit of middle school cross country, but I wasn’t as dedicated to it as I am now. I want to see where this season takes me and by the end of the year, if I’m happy with my improvement, I’d be really interested in running in college.”

For runners like senior Gracie Hall, who has been a part of the cross country team since freshman year,  just being invited to compete in the meet is a great honor.

“I think we are just really humbled to get invited to the meet in the first place,” Hall said. “[I’m] excited to compete against some of the top teams in the nation.”

With only the top seven varsity boy and varsity girl runners attending the race, Woods said the race is a very important step for all runners who wish to run in college.

“It means a lot that we were recognized to be a very good team and get invited out to the biggest meet in the nation and we hope to surpass their expectations and represent CP well,” Woods said. “It also means a lot to me because it’s a lightning fast course so should hopefully catch the eye of more colleges.”

No matter what the outcome is, Woods said he’s excited to be able to compete in the event more than anything. 

“I’m looking forward to racing some of the best competition in the nation with some awesome friends,” Woods said. “We’ve just been focusing on working hard as a team and running for each other. We’ve been waiting for this race for a while so we are more excited than anything.”