We sincerely appreciated the effort of coach Rivera and his way of inspiring each and every runner in Cross Country. And with much pride, Mr. Rivera is now passing the position to our two new coaches, Coach Tobin and Coach Becerra. We got a chance to meet the coaches and as for first impression, they are dedicated and are confident of the team. They push their runners to do their best and want nothing but dedication from the student-athletes.

Last year there was no coach for the girls in Cross Country, and it’s something that was much wanted. Luckily, Ms. Beccera decided to take that position because she loves the idea of running, and it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Ms. Becerra truly believes in her team, and  her hopes for the team are that “they show their best effort by consistently coming to practice and trying their absolute best.”

We have asked her what she plans to do with the team, as an amazing, kind teacher she said “the girls are lacking with stamina and leg strength [but] since it is early in the season, we can focus on both without worrying and take our time.” The tone of her voice resonated major confidence.

The boys’ new coach Tobin, is very pleased to be here since it’s a great opportunity he took! “The team is deep with talent” he expresses while interviewing him.  He believes that his experience and skills can help bring the Manual Arts team to the top of the league and into the conversation to the city champs. Over the course of the season, he hopes to help the runners individually and grow as a team.

We were curious about one of the runners, Kenia Ochoa, who has been in the cross country team since freshman year. We wanted to know her perspective on how she pushed and motivated herself while running. She feels the most accomplished when she does many laps since it takes a lot of her energy. Running is something she’s always liked to do. Her fastest mile has been 7:20 which is pretty good. She shared some of her techniques that she likes to do when running. 

It is amazing that Kenia likes to study the unit circle while running. I remember when we first learned about it in class. IT IS A LOT TO REMEMBER. She also likes to stare at a position on the horizon. She calls it “daydreaming while running.” I’ve never heard someone use those techniques while running, and it’s very impressive. 

From watching the runners practice, their spirit moved us to the point where we want to do better in what we do when it comes to: school work, sports, work, and life in general. All this reminds us of what Martin Luther King Jr. once said:

“If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.” It is a nice feeling seeing your peers pushing themselves to be the best person they can be and have the spirit to motivate others positively. 

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