The SRV men’s cross country team, driven by community and hard work, consists of a variety of leaders who help bring the strengths of this team together and create an atmosphere for consistent performance. Gray Garson, a top performing athlete and mentor on the team describes his team members as a “bunch of really hard-working guys who run together for the sake of running,”demonstrating the group’s steady dedication driven by passion and a shared goal. Further, he adds that “When we all go through hard workouts together, it makes us stronger as a group.” Gray sends the message of how this shared experience creates a special sense of unity within the team, pivotal for its success. He also mentions how hard work has been crucial in perseverance and overcoming obstacles. Despite facing a few “off” races, Gray kept his head down and continued to do the work to help turn the tides. Nick Morales, team captain, varsity runner and leader, builds off the ideals of hard work and acts accordingly by fostering the growth of the team in various ways: “I try to create a friendly environment” and “everyone pushes each other to get better,” he says. Once again, this demonstrates a vital aspect of this team, and how learning and growth occurs synchronously within it. One of his defining moments came from the Woodbridge Invite 3 mile because not only was it an opportunity for him set a personal record, however as Nick mentioned also “really tests how fast you can be and shows what hard work can result in”. In all, runners on the team such as Nick and Gray show how important hard work and community are in paving the way for success on the team.

Additional training info:

The team generally trains 5-6 days a week, with varied distances from anywhere between 3 to 10 miles. These runs take a variety of forms as well: sometimes easy runs to build endurance, other times sprints and hills to build strength and speed.