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December 14, 2009
Rico Donelson Jones and Alex Tyler
Senior Ben Rich, the red-headed wonder of cross country, has been running for the team since his freshman year in high school. Rich has always been interested in sports and tried many things before finding his talent in running. Aside from training with the school team he trains independently to push his skills even further. This however, may have been his downfall at league championships. Two days before the race Ben left practice early to train more, even when his coach advised him not to.
“It was a big mistake because I over-trained before the race. I ditched practice to do hill repeats and I was too tired in the race,” Rich said.
Even though he lost the race and placed second at MVALs, it was his most memorable moment.
Rich qualified for the Division I CIF State Championships, and placed sixty-seventh overall.
Junior Jessica Gerards has also been racing since she was a freshman. She was the 2009 MVAL champion, missing state qualification by one spot. During off-season she and her sister run around their neighborhood park in preparation for track in spring. Gerards secret to success is “to stay calm, not think about how you’re going to perform.”
