Written by Katie Russell

Both girls’ and boys’ cross country teams competed at the Central Coast Section (CCS) final meet on Nov. 14. The girls’ team finished in fourth at CCS on Nov. 14, barely missing the cutoff to advance to the state meet. Senior Gillian Meeks, who won the title at CCS, and junior Illi Gardner, who placed tenth, continued on as individuals at the state meet on Nov. 28. Gardner came in 123rd in the state meet. Meeks placed first in the state for Division II and will compete next at the Nike Cross Nationals meet on Dec. 5 in Portland, Oregon.

Despite the team’s disappointment at not advancing fur- ther, Gardner maintained that the season was a success. “We did really well, and we had one of the strongest teams that we’ve had in a while,” Gardner said. “A lot of people improved over this season, which is what’s important.”

The boys’ team placed seventh at CCS. Junior Jonas Enders was the highest-placing runner, finishing in eighteenth place. Enders emphasized the team’s growth and bonding over the season. “We got really close as a team, and I think that was more important to a lot of us than the actual rankings,” Enders said. “We did get a lot better from the beginning of the season, and we worked really hard throughout. We’re all pretty happy with the results.”