Eagle Era

The AHS cross country team celebrated wins in all categories of the MVAL championship 

By Lisa Shokoor

On Wednesday November 5th, AHS headed into the MVAL championship with a chance of winning the title. For days, the Eagles endured early morning practices, long runs, and daily workouts in order to condition themselves for the MVAL championship. With hard work, strength, and determination, the Eagles came out victorious in every category, including JV Girls, Varsity Girls, Frosh/Soph Boys, JV Boys, and Varsity Boys. The varsity girls secured their first MVAL championship title, a milestone in AHS history. Meanwhile, the varsity boys claimed their first league title in 23 years, ending a 2-decade long drought. 

Javier Alfonso, one of the coaches for the cross country team, reflected on the significance of the achievement. He said, “It’s really incredible to have both teams win in the same year, along with all the other divisions—the JV Boys, Girls, and Frosh divisions. To have a total clean sweep is unheard of.” 

Alfonso added, “It really shows that these kids have truly been putting in all their effort, and that hard work does pay off.” 

The JV girls cross country team does their pre-race cheer called the “hoo-ha” with some of the coaches and varsity girls. (Photo Credit: Coach Julian).

He also highlighted how long-term practices and preparation shaped the team’s success at the MVAL championship. He said, “A big thing is that we started conditioning the very first day of summer break. That alone really helps those who are either new to cross country and those who are used to running.”

For many runners, the coaching staff played a big role in the team’s growth and endurance. Vivian Luu (12), who runs on JV, explained how crucial the coaches were to the team’s improvement. She said, “The coaches [keep] us in check. They want everyone to be better with attendance, which also leads to consistency.”

Phoebe Luo (11), a varsity runner who placed second in the MVAL championship, further explained how the coaching staff helped her improve as a runner. She said, “They definitely shaped me mentality-wise and training-wise. They kept me grounded even when I was having a hard day.”

Despite the pressure of the championships, Luo believed that they would have been proud of themselves for getting that far, regardless of the end results. “We talked a lot about the fact that whatever happens, it doesn’t matter, and I always reassure the team: [cross country] is for fun.” 

Luo also reflected on how the team’s close bond contributed to the victory at the MVAL championship. She said, “We had a trip to L.A. for another meet and everyone got really close, so it really feels like we are more a family rather than just teammates.”

This achievement is important to the team since it displayed their hard work they put in. Luo said, “Everyone’s been second place or right below first, and especially since varsity girls never had a win, the win definitely felt super nice. Everyone’s been working really well.”