Cross Country

Cross Country is a 2 mile race that is run on natural terrain. The team will be competing on dirt trails, running up and down hills, making the races exciting and challenging. The only equipment needed are running shoes and a water bottle.

We compete in the East Side Athletic League. There are three cross country divisions for each gender – 8th grade, 7th grade, and “C” (under 5’2”). Depending on the meet host school’s decision, we take anywhere from 5 to 10 or more runners for each category. Competitors are determined through qualifiers at practice. The competing roster always changes from meet to meet. If an athlete does not qualify for meet #1, they may still qualify for meet #2; conversely, if they qualify for meet #1, there is no guarantee they will compete in meet #2. Athletes are encouraged to try their best every day to have a good chance at making the meets. A 2.0+ GPA must be maintained to compete in meets, with no Ds, Fs, or U citizenship grades. Grades will be checked at the 1st Quarter Progress Report.

Meet at the back of the Quimby Oak Gym by the locker rooms. You must have registered online and have a signed parent online permission slip and online concussion information slip completed during your online registration to tryout. These forms can be found during the registration process online and are also available on the Athletics Overview page. Please see the coaches for more information.

Practice

• Practice takes place Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays from 2:45 to 3:45 pm. Meet by the locker rooms.
• Daily attendance is required.
• Additionally, there may be voluntary practice at Montgomery Hill Park at Evergreen Valley College on Fridays for athletes that can organize transportation to the park. 

Helpful Tips

• Please make an effort to stay hydrated throughout the day, not just before practice, and even if it’s not hot outside. We strongly recommend purchasing a reusable water bottle (preferably 24 oz. or larger).
• Make sure to eat a healthy breakfast and lunch – DO NOT skip these meals! Eat fruits and vegetables. An athlete's body needs fuel to run long distances & hills, so don’t deny yourself the chance to be successful due to inadequate nutrition. Avoid fast food, junk food, & soda.
• September and October are very warm months (low 80s to high 90s). Please wear sunscreen daily.
• Proper footwear is required to participate. You need a sturdy, comfortable pair of running shoes. Spikes are unnecessary for trail running.

• Daily attendance is required.
• Two unexcused absences will result in removal from the team.  If you have an appointment or other valid excuse to miss practice, you must notify Mr. Rivas (crivas@eesd.org) prior to the absence.  If you have an excused absence from school, show your attendance manager your re-admit slip the day you return to school. 
• Academic reasons or extracurricular activities are NOT valid excuses to miss practice. 
• Scheduled meets are posted on the calendar below.  All athletes must be picked up immediately by an adult upon the team's return to campus.  Athletes who are picked up late from practice or meets will be noted and will not be permitted to participate in future practices or meets. 

• There are three divisions for each gender: 8th Grade Boys, 8th Grade Girls, 7th Grade Boys, 7th Grade Girls, C Boys, and C Girls.
• We may take anywhere from 5 to 10+ runners in each category.
• Competitors are determined through qualifying runs at practice.
• For each meet, start times and the order each group runs will be posted at school the day before or the day of a race.

Our runners represent Quimby Oak Lobos to the community and are required to be on their best behavior.

• If we are taking a bus, athletes must follow all bus rules and driver instructions.
• Upon arrival at the meet venue, athletes must stay in an area designated by the coaches. Our area must be kept clean, and all trash & recycling removed by the time we leave.
• Athletes must bring their own water & snacks; certain locations do not have drinking water available.
• Coaches usually have jobs at the start/finish line and may not be present to instruct runners in pre-race preparation. Competing runners are expected to be self-reliant: pay attention to meet proceedings, warm-up & stretch before their race, and report to the starting line when called.
• Athletes must practice good sportsmanship towards other schools’ coaches, competitors, and spectators.
• Disrespect toward other schools’ coaches, athletes, and/or spectators will result in ineligibility to compete in later meets or removal from the team, depending upon severity of the infraction.
• All athletes MUST personally check out with a coach before leaving. Runners who fail to sign out with a coach may lose eligibility to compete in future meets. We must keep track of athletes’ whereabouts for safety reasons.
• Participating in a meet does NOT exempt students from completing assignments and studying for assessments. It is the athlete’s responsibility to communicate with his/her teacher(s) if there is an issue.