PE Teachers Mr. Patrick Evans and Mrs. Heather De La Jara, along with AVID Tutor Mr. David Diaz have prepared the MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate School Cross Country Team since September 5 for the upcoming meet.  All intermediate schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District will have cross country teams compete at Thornton Park on October 5, at 3:00 PM.  

Daily practices took place after school at Lillie King Park, right next to MacArthur’s campus, Monday through Friday, except for Wednesday’s because it is a modified day.  There has been a slight change to the practices times from previous years, with Mondays and Friday’s practice ending at 3:50 PM and Tuesdays and Thursday’s practice ending at 4:20 PM.

To get the runners warmed up, team members run the big bowl and then stretch under the “happy trees.”  Runners are separated by gender and grade level, but every Thursday is considered racing day.

Racing day is when cross country members run a certain a predetermined distance, depending on their grade level.  For example, the sixth graders run one mile, the seventh graders run one and a half miles, and the eighth graders run two miles.  Every Thursday, Evans records the results as he works to improve the team’s times.  

The cross country meet is on October 5 at Thornton Park at 3:00 PM.  Thornton Park is located next to McFadden Intermediate School, approximately one mile from MacArthur’s campus.  

Each grade level has a certain amount of students allowed to make it on the team.  For sixth grade boys and girls they each are allowed 14 participants, seven boys and seven girls, on the team.  For seventh grade boys and girls they are also allowed 14 students, seven from each gender.  Lastly, eighth grade students are allowed 20 students, ten boys and ten girls, on the team. That is a 48 member team in all.  

On occasion the cross country team does out-runs.  An out-run is where the students run off campus to a specific location and run back on campus.

Eighth-grader Valeria Zambrano thinks that cross country is a difficult sport, but the results are worth-while.  Valeria joined cross country because, “It is a fun way to exercise and be healthy.”  She has been doing cross country for the past year, seventh grade.

Eighth-grader Elleanna Sanchez said,”It is very fun and I love to run!”  She joined cross country because she wanted to start running again so she would get used to it and get faster.  Elleana has been in cross country for all three of her MacArthur years.