On Saturday, September 2, Rosary’s Cross Country runners showed off all their running skills at Pomona Fairplex for the Cool Breeze Invitational.
The girls have been practicing at Acacia Park six days a week since early July in order to prep for the races. Ashley Hawley ’25 said, “The week leading up to the race, I was super anxious, but my teammates reasured me that the race would go great no matter what and that all our hard work would pay off.”
The girls competed against 50 schools from all different levels. Freshman Julissa Gallegos said, “When I got to the race, I was pretty nervous because it was my first meet. Seeing all the girls running sort of made my nerves go down. Once I got to the line, I felt really good. I started running and even ended up getting a medal!”
Rosary even had one of their sophomores, Ava Oldewurtel, finish first overall in the sophomore race with a time of 21:11, which was a personal best! She shares her experience, “I had so much fun at the race. Finishing in first made me feel amazing and so surreal being able to show how strong the women of Rosary are. Something that will stick with me is the feeling of being in control and confident throughout the race. I also loved hearing all the cheering and encouragement from both Servite and Rosary.”
Overall, the cross country race was a big success for Rosary. Team co-captain Mandy Puga ’24 shared, “I thought the race went great! I am so proud of the team for pushing through. It was awesome to not only see the girls giving it their all but also being super supportive of one another.”
The Rosary community was very proud to see all of their hard work, and are super excited to see all that they accomplish this season.
Cross Country has another race this Saturday, September 16, at OC Great Park for the Woodbridge Invitational. Come out and support!
