By: Meagan So, Staff Writer
The Mills’ Varsity Girls Cross Country (XC) team has been doing really well this season. Their team consists of Miya Cheng, Katie Yee, Chloe Amayun, Alexa Dunn, Kaelyn Chan, and Janelle Pantilon. These girls have been racing and competing their hardest this year, winning meets and medals. So what led up to this point, and how have they been doing it?
Cross country is so much more than a game of mindless running, which is a common stereotype many have when asked about the sport. It requires endurance, consistency, strength, speed, strategy, and most importantly, a strong mindset. Janelle Pantilon (11), Varsity Girls Cross Country member explains the strategy factors in cross country competitions, saying, “…you [definitely] want to make sure that you have a plan, because sometimes if you go into [the race] unprepared, it can be very hard.” Along with strategies, the mental game is a crucial thing the girls have to take into account when competing. Pantilon stated, “I think one of the biggest things is the mental part for cross country. I’ve experienced mental blocks throughout this season that I’ve had to overcome.” Miya Cheng (12), their captain, emphasized and agreed with this statement. She explained how she avoids thinking negatively during races and tries to keep an open mind when running and competing. She said, “…when I think about the pain, I feel really bad for myself, [and] I feel worse running. I think running with a clear mind is really important when you have these kinds of painful races.” Chloe Amayun (11) has a very similar mindset. She shared how she tells herself, “You’ve done this before, many times, and it’ll be over soon.”
Of course, with mental games comes inevitable stress. Cheng shares her experiences with pre-game stress and how she copes with it. She reminds herself that she’s not alone. She explained, “…the girls varsity cross country team is really strong, so I feel like I don’t have to [carry] all the responsibility, because I know that my other teammates will do really well.”
While XC is half done individually, the way to win in the sport is through combined scores throughout your team, meaning the girls are in it together. Janelle explained how one of the things that sets the girls up for victory is teamwork and inclusivity. “I would definitely say just uplifting each other [helps us win],” she explained, “Even though cross country, you know, is individual, it’s also a team thing. And I think one of the biggest, one of the greatest things, is just having your teammates there to support you…regardless of your level.” Miya brought this up too, saying, “[We have] a strong bond… we’re like a family. We’re really supportive in that sense, and we don’t really have beef with one another, we don’t have a lot of drama going on, because we all cheer for each other, because we all know that pain that everybody has to go through. I think that’s really, really nice.”
Speaking of victories, the Varsity Girls XC team has been doing well this season and have been placing high in rankings, even winning medals. Many of their runners have been placing in top ten during competitions, one being an invitational hosted by Hillsdale. Janelle shared another victory, saying, “…at one of our [other] meets, we got second place, and we only lost to the other team by two points. We were really close, and that was definitely a big achievement for us.”
Recently, on October 17th, the girls placed first in a PAL meet, with many runners placing at the tops of the rankings, with the girls joined by Alyssa Mai (10) as their seventh runner. Chloe shared info on this, saying, “For the girls, it’s the first time we ever won a PAL meet. We beat our competitor, Carlmont.”
These wins weren’t just handed to them. The cross country team achieved this through hard work, determination, dedication, and resilience preparing for this race. The girls practice five days a week, around two hours a day after school. During these practices, they run laps around the track and go on runs outside of school as a group. This is to prepare them for competitions, where the distance and obstacles vary based on where it’s taking place. Along with this, their coach, Coach Cappel, has the girls do a pre game warmup, saying, “my belief is you really do have to really expend a lot of energy and a lot of effort warming up and getting your body warm enough. Only then can you run at peak performance.”
The team has been working hard this season, putting in lots of practice and effort to win their races. Coach Cappel described the current team as “the best team the school’s ever had in the history of the school.” He stated, “I have no doubt that they’re going to go to the state meet again this year…even though we have a lot of competition, I think our girls are getting better every time they run.”
Whether it’s strategy, uplifting teammates, fighting mental battles, or more, the girls always give it their all. With more races in the near, we hope that the runners know Mills is supporting them, cheering them on every step of the way.
