On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, Anaheim High School’s cross-country team had their last league meet at Craig Park. Our seniors, Fernando Barrios, Gabriel Camarillo, Jaime Godinez, Alexis Lopez, Andrew Ramos, and Michael Sanchez raced their final race and crossed the finish line one last time.

Cross-country consists of running 3 miles in a race. You must not only have the speed but the endurance and the proper form. Some people say cross country is not a sport because they believe running is the punishment of other sports.

Alexis Lopez has been in cross-country for three years and says that he was glad he joined because it has taught him how to grow as a person. He said, “Work hard because it will pay off at the end of the day. Keep a goal in mind and pursue it, never give up.” These words are what allowed him to reach his goal of running in the varsity team. He was given the opportunity to run with varsity because of his hard work and dedication to the sport.

Andrew Ramos, the second fastest runner on the team joined the sport his freshman year and does not regret it. Andrews personal record for running a 3-mile course is 16:07, a feat he is extremely proud of. Being part of a sport for four years has allowed him to have a bond with his teammates and coaches. He tells us how cross country is a brotherhood and he will always remember all of the unforgettable memories he made with his teammates. His advice for his fellow lower class teammates is, “Enjoy the moments while you live them,  it’s four years being with the same people, so make the best out of it.”

Michael Sanchez finishes off his cross country season with a personal record of 16:19. Running has been a passion of his since 7th grade which has taught him many things. Michael says what inspired him to remain in the sport his four years of high school is the fact that he loves the sport and it has become a part of his life. Cross country has not only allowed him to 

meet new people but to remain fit with a healthy body.

Jaime Godinez joined this sport and decided to stay in it his four years because of his “ambition to become a better and faster runner”. One of his goals was to run in varsity which he was able to accomplish this year with hard work and many days of mile repeats. Although practice had to be taken seriously, the team would always make sure they got along and would crack jokes about one another. Some advice Jaime has for his teammates is to never give up and do not forget to stretch before and after every workout.

Gabriel Camarillo is happy to say he ended this sport with good results. One of his was to break 18 minutes and so he did. He was able to get 17 minutes in three miles his sophomore year. Some advice Gabriel has for the freshman, sophomores, and juniors is to keep running and run during the summer so they won’t lose their endurance and speed. He also says that you should never let an injury get in the way of accomplishing your running goals, just recover and improve. Gabriel enjoys being part of a sport where the team gets along and is supportive of one another.

Fernando Barrios has been in cross country since his freshman year and is proud of the amount of effort and dedication he put into the sport. He is glad that he was able to be around supportive teammates that always encouraged him to do his best at races.

Overall, these seniors were not only able to grow as runners but also as a person. They were always supportive and wanted the best for each other. Some days consisted of difficult workouts and others consisted of easier runs at the park. They are glad they made it this far as friends and teammates.