“Students did reach all my expectations for this year,” said Cross Country Coach Mr. Patrick Evans.  

Wednesday October 5, MacArthur’s Cross Country team competed in the city final.  The team ran against 12 other intermediate, and elementary/intermediate, schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District.

This city final has been going on for decades, according to Evans.  Most after school sports have tournaments between intermediate schools, and cross country is no different.

The city final was held at McFadden Intermediate School and Thornton Park, which is next to the campus.  This city final had its three different grade levels and both boys and girls participate in different categories.

According to Evans, the student athletes improved by training harder and harder with more effort than usual.  Athletes at MacArthur intermediate have a passion every year for taking pride in preparing for every tournament.

MacArthur’s sixth grade girls stayed in first place with the score of 33, as for our sixth grade boys they took their fifth place with the score of 132 .

For sixth graders, students ran a full mile.  Sixth-grader Kaitlyn Castillo which ran a  7:17 minute mile, along with sixth-grader Andrew Gomez who ran 6:27 mile, who were recognized for running fastest mile on the team.

MacArthur’s seventh grade boys took first place with score of 29. Though the seventh grade girls team took second place with a score of 60.

For seventh graders, athletes had to run the mile and a half.  For boys, Jose Lozano ran 8:50 min mile and a half, which Evans said that this student showed most improvement.  For girls, Ariana DeGuzman ran the mile and a half in 10:59.

The eighth grade girls team took first by scoring with a total of 39. MacArthur’s eighth grade boys took  second place with the score of 48.

Eighth graders had to run two miles.  MacArthur’s fastest runner for the boys was student Anthony Naxi, who ran two miles in 13:06.  Savannah Ariola ran the two miles in 13:59, representing the best time for MacArthur’s girl runners.  “I was very nervous, but I felt like my whole team was supporting me,” said Savannah.