Besides being known for its academically challenging curriculum, ACP Erie is also home to many sports. One of these sports is cross country. This school year’s cross country season only just started recently and to tell us more about it is Captain Evelyn Jimenez, known by most of her peers as Evie, and a senior at ACP.

Q: How long does the season last?
A: The season officially lasts from the second week of school to the middle of November, but cross country runners begin training as soon as track and field. They have been training for over two weeks in May. We also run and condition throughout summer break in the early hours of the morning.

Q: How many meets do you have?
A: There are 8-10 meets this season, depending on how well we do at sectionals and state. There have been some fun runs that don’t count for school scoring on top of the original meets.

Q: When’s your next meet?
A: The next meet is on September 7 at night. It’s known as the Desert Solstice Meet in Marana, AZ. Its earliest run starts at about 5:00 P.M., and its last probably starts about 7:30 or 8:00 P.M..

Q: How long have you been running cross country?
A: I began running cross country in 7th grade here at ACP-Erie. Before that, my mom was the one who initiated my love for running. She invited me over one fall break when I was in 5th or 6th grade to join her in her morning runs, and I learned to love running mostly because of the time I was able to spend with her in the morning. I learned to love the exercise part later.

Q: What inspired you to run?
A: I remember when I was little (maybe four or five), and our parents would put us in a double stroller and go running on Saturdays. When we reached a certain path with trees lining both sides, they would tell my younger sister and  I to hop out and race to the end (it was maybe 100 meters, but it seemed like forever)! I was able to build on that later in 5th and 6th grade, and it has stuck. I love the feeling of working until you ache or the relaxation of a nice, long run where you just feel strong and free. The space and time to think is a beautiful thing, and other times, I truly love working out with the girls’ team-sweating it out together and making memories. In short, my motivation to run changes from day-to-day, but it is certainly the company (my family, my coaches, our team) that have made the running both fun and rewarding.

Q: How long does the team practice for meets?
A: The team practices six days a week, 1-2 hours each day for meets. Depending on the intensity of the practice, the time varies. Missing days can really slow you down, which is why we only take one rest day per week to fully recover with no running. I truly love Sundays for that reason!

Q: Does your team have any goals for this season?
A:  The goals of our girls’ team are to qualify as a team for state and have every girl earn a personal record this season. I hope to say the same for the boys’ team. We all just want to be stronger, conditioned for other sports, and have opportunities to do what most other people wouldn’t try. Our teams are the smallest they have ever been this season, but we are hoping to make it a strong season, especially after a strong first meet win for the girls!

A huge congratulations to our girls cross country team for winning their first meet! We believe that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and without a doubt, you can be assured that we will cheer you on to more victories across the finishing line. Good luck and break a leg! Or should I say: please don’t?