Being an athlete is not without its relentless struggles, hurled upon them at every step of their endeavor. Though it can take a massive toll on both their physical and mental health, athletes must learn to push forward through the obstacles in order to ultimately achieve success in the future.
The Bulldogs in Ayala’s boys and girls cross country teams faced this dilemma over the past several months as they were unjustly stripped of their path to a potential record-breaking future. Despite their immense success maintained throughout their fall season through each athlete’s dedication and efforts, both teams had unfortunately been disqualified from this year’s California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section (CIF-SS) cross country finals.
Prior to competition, the students trained rigorously for several months, facing obstacles including the high altitudes of Big Bear Lake and the Inland Empire’s scorching summer heat. However, the grueling practices had evidently paid off during their season as they not only achieved tremendous success, but also bonded closely with one another through their shared struggles.
“Being part of the cross country team is more than about just running; It’s about teamwork and pushing each other to do our best and growing together,” Varsity member Olivia Kim (10) said. “These challenges helped us improve and the support that we share made the journey really special.”
Once competition within the region began, the Bulldogs immediately saw evidence of their hard work reflected through the consistently high scores that both the girls and boys teams achieved. As the season progressed, their success only continued to grow.
“For the boy’s program, beating Glendora at league finals propelled us to a number one ranking in CIF Division Two and a number two ranking in the state,” Cross Country Head Coach Tony DiMarco said. “For the girls, they had a lot of ups and downs this season, but I think what stood out the most is that they never gave up and made Claremont earn their victory over us at league finals.”
By the time the Palomares League had officially ended, Ayala’s cross country teams had secured themselves at a high rank within the state, easily making them qualified for the long awaited CIF-SS race that was held at Mt. San Antonio College. With the school’s population size, the student athletes were also looking to compete at the Division One level. Additionally, the boys team, who have competed in CIF-SS over the past four years, were prepared for the opportunity to compete, for the first time, in the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) invitational meet.
However, a mere three days before the CIF-SS meet, it was reported the school’s administration had miscounted the number of students, thus putting them in Division Two instead of Division One. The error ultimately resulted in both teams’ disqualification from the competition.
“It’s not just me. The whole team is really upset about what happened, but it was something that we couldn’t change,” Varsity member Phoebe Kim (10) said. “Alabama did kind of make up for it, but it was just not the same.”
With the athletes and coaches especially furious and distraught from the elimination, the school board immediately worked to find an alternative that would not waste the teams’ hard work dedicated towards their success. This substitute was the Running Lanes Cross Country Championships, an annual race held in Huntsville, Alabama, where the attendees could compete among the top high schools and student athletes from across the nation.
“Going to Alabama was a special memory because [we] got to spend a lot of time together, [had] a lot of team bonding, and it was a good experience overall,” freshman Varsity athlete Bryson Caganap said.
While it had been their first year participating in the Running Lanes meet, both teams had competed in the gold division and performed exceptionally well with the boys placing fifth and the girls seventh among over a thousand athletes.
“[Running Lanes] was like a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Kim said. “Since it was our first time, we didn’t do our best. But I think this is another learning experience for us.”
In the face of adversaries, Ayala’s cross country teams have proven to themselves and the world that they are more than capable of persisting no matter the challenges thrown their way. Regardless of the outcomes of the 2024 season, the returning members strive to build from the knowledge acquired this year into the next.
“I would describe the season as challenging, especially because we got disqualified from CIF Finals,” Kim said. “But I’m still a sophomore and I feel like the team is ready for more.”
