A Bittersweet End to Our Cross Country Season

Written By Winston Coady

We had an amazing cross country season this fall! Students from sixth, seventh and eighth grade all put immense effort and determination into building their running skills—enormous shout-out to them all!

Our cross country practices were held on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week, from 4:00-5:30. Tuesdays were dedicated to improving speed at Joe DiMaggio Park through running intervals and agility-based games such as sharks & minnows; Thursdays focused on building endurance by jogging for half an hour or longer. Our route spanned from Aquatic Park to Crissy Field and beyond, winding up Fort Mason Hill before crossing a relatively flat expanse. 

Twice throughout the season, we took a special route across Fisherman’s Wharf and the optional stretch to the Ferry Building. Our team would then finish the run by climbing the brutal Greenwich Steps for three rewards: improved hill stamina, a stunning view from the foot of Coit Tower, and a sweet treat to soothe our exhaustion.

Our team also participated in two meets throughout the season, both of which were handled with remarkable grit and resolve. The first meet was held at Westmoor High School, Daly City, on October 5th. Our top New School finishers included. Our second meet was held at the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course, on November 2nd. Our top New School finishers included Pele, who came 4th place in the G6 girls category; Gael, who came 1st place in the G7 boys category; and Winston, who came 4th place in the G8 boys category. Regardless of where they placed, every single runner deserves to be praised for their unwavering commitment to our team. And, of course, a huge appreciation for our coaches—we wouldn’t be such a strong and tight-knit team without their dedication.

We also noted a skyrocketing improvement in mile times, which were recorded twice across the season. We encourage our runners to continue practicing over the winter, and to join New School’s running club after spring break for an informal spin on the cross country season. Practices will be held each Thursday and will be focused on personal growth rather than preparation for meets.

Winston Coady

Winston Coady is an 8th grade student at the New School of San Francisco as well as the paper’s editor-in-chief and serial author. In addition to overseeing NewsCool Chronicle’s editorship, he releases weekly chapters of the adventure serial A Fray of Four Fiefs as a sequel to Ember of the Fallen Kingdom. Coady is a passionate writer who enjoys all forms of writing, creative storytelling being one of his greatest hobbies. He also delights in reading, long-distance running, baking, studying mythology, and linguistics. His goals in life include becoming a successful fiction author and possibly running an ultramarathon someday. He enjoys participating in the newspaper and working with our other wonderful members.

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