MacArthur’s “Legendary” cross country team places first again
Repeating their 2021 performance, MacArthur’s cross country team returns as champions of the S.A.U.S.D Intermediate school race.
On Wednesday, September 28, MacArthur’s cross country team won first place overall. The meet was held at McFadden Intermediate. The cross country team was coached by P.E teachers Mr. Patrick Evans, and Mrs. Heather Moothart along with Math Teacher Mr. Jim Axton.
“I had high hopes because we had good athletes that come out, do training and when we usually do very well,” Axton said. As for advice Axton offers, he said,” “Come out with a good attitude and be ready to work!”
At the race, there were a total of seven students who finished in the top three. In first place were eighth-grader Jayden M., seventh-grader Sebastion M., and sixth-grader Drake S. In second place were eighth-grader Mia V. and seventh-grader Jaime G. In third place were eighth-grader Emily P. and sixth-grader Viktor M.
About her second-place finish, Mia said, “A better strategy would have been staying behind Villa until the end.”
Third-place finisher Emily said, “I think one of the persons who challenged me was from Villa. She had a good method in the race”.
As for the individual heats, sixth-grade girls came in fourth place with a score of 72 points, and sixth-grade boys came in first with a total of 22 points. Seventh-grade girls came in third with a total of 54 points with seventh-grade boys coming in first with a total of 21 points. Finally, eighth-grade girls came in first place with a total of 17 points and eighth-grade boys came in second place with 44 points.
The competition was held after weeks of practice, Monday through Thursday. Additionally, the high temperatures caused a few of the practices to be modified or canceled due to unhealthy conditions.
Last year, the cross-country team also finished in first place. However this year MacArthur had a total of seven top three as opposed to last year with a total of eight top three.
The cross country team was recognized and celebrated at the first awards assembly on October 11. Several times the team was referred to as “legendary” because of the program’s continued success over the decades under Evans’ and the other coaches’ direction.