Continuing to stay on course, the Diamond Bar High School cross country team competed in two races this past month. 

The team competed at the Woodbridge Invitational on Sept. 16 at the Orange County Great Park. Overall, the team performed well and showed great improvement from their previous races, earning many personal records. 

“The team displayed resilience and resolute determination, allowing them to finish the race spectacularly,” junior Ethan Hoen said via Discord. “Although we have many things to work on, our first league race was a great start.” 

The team raced at their first league competition meet of the season on Sept. 20 against Los Altos, Walnut, Rowland, Wilson and South Hills at Horsethief Canyon. The girls placed fourth, while the boys got third.

“We got a new course and many athletes struggled through the race,” head coach Mallinali Cooke said. 

Despite their performance in these past races, the team continues to seek rapid improvement as they are only competing in two invitational meets and one Hacienda League racket this season. In practices, the team has worked on increasing their endurance and strengthening their core. Outside of training, the team maintains their health by getting enough sleep and eating three meals a day. 

“The team has focused on cross-training to prevent injuries and improving their form on hills,” Hoen said. “We do frequent core exercises, calisthenics and weight training to prevent injuries.” 

Standout athletes include senior Kyle Croker, who placed fifth overall in the league, showing great improvement from his previous season. Sophomore Evelyn Kim also showed significant personal growth from her last race, placing tenth overall. 

“The team showed significant improvement from their last race and I couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments,” Cooke said.