During the fall sports season, the cross country team has had a great accomplishment making it further than all the other fall sports. They showed constant grit and determination during their season training everyday after school around the track or through the nearby streets, with their varsity team running for up to two hours a day after almost every school day.

In their past races, the cross country team has made constant podium appearances and solid places while almost always having a decrease in time. Their hard work paid off as they moved onto state championships and were ready to face other schools outside of their division.

This was an important opportunity for everyone on the cross country team as they are the only team to reach championships this fall season out of the other teams. They had the privilege of representing the school against a different crowd of teams in this match. 

Their first championship game was on Nov. 26, as they traveled to Fresno for their first meet in the CIF State Championships. Among the schools who participated in the race, the cross country team placed 11 out of 24 schools, their best finish in school history, having first reached the state championship in 2015. 

Ben Parker ’26, a Varsity cross country member who participated in the championships, said, “I speak for my team when I say I’m extremely proud of this season and hope for a three-peat next year in the fall.” 

With their season over, they are now training for the next year and are ready to represent Riordan again in any future competitions.