As the cross country season draws to a close, the team’s focus shifts towards the end-of-season championships — the key races for any runner hoping to qualify for the state championship. That objective was top of mind for Burlingame’s athletes on Wednesday, Oct. 25 during the third Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) meet at Bedwell Bayfront Park. Because the PAL finals are just over a week away and the Central Coast Section championships are the week after that, several Burlingame runners deliberately opted to slow down during the Bedwell meet to ensure this day didn’t jeopardize their success in November.

“Instead of being in the competitive mindset, I kind of considered this meet to be just another workout for the week,” senior Cora Haggarty said. “We want to think about the big picture since we have a really, really important race next Saturday and want to make sure we are healthy to perform our best that day.”

Despite the runners’ relaxed attitude heading into the meet, the team did not fail to impress in the final standings. Girls’ varsity stuck together through the race, ranking sixth among its other competitors with an overall score of 153. Boys’ varsity finished with a score of 304 and came in twelfth place. With the same goal of prioritizing their health in anticipation of the forthcoming PAL finals, many runners reached the finish line as a team rather than sprinting to the fastest time possible. 

“There’s always the aspect of over-doing it where you could get hurt, where you could outrun yourself, get burned out,” senior Arouka Purev-Chang said. “The speed that we went out [today], the amount of practices we’ve had and the workload is at a great pace if we want to compete our best on the day of the championships.”

The notion of preserving all of one’s energy for championships applies especially to the girls’ varsity team, which has a strong possibility of qualifying for States.

“The CCS championships represent a chance to go to State championships which hasn’t happened for 20 years, so that’s what we’ve been trying to peak for all year,” assistant coach Steve O’Brien said. “I’m excited and hope that these girls understand the magnitude of this achievement.”

For freshman Elizabeth Carroll, who has exceeded all expectations in her first year of cross country, the journey leading up to the championships is a combination of focus and delight. Carroll is driven to stay in the sport because she thoroughly enjoys the team culture. 

“[Cross country] has been amazing. Literally on the first practice of the team, everybody was so nice and so welcoming,” Carroll said. “Practice is my favorite part of the day because I get to see all of my friends and run with them.”

On the other end of the journey, runners who are competing in their final season are relishing every second of it as well. Rather than dreading the idea that the PAL championships will be his final race, Purev-Chang is overjoyed at the prospect of sharing this memorable event with his teammates. 

“I’m excited and a little nervous about the whole fact that it will be my last race. This is probably the last time I’m running with my teammates,” Purev-Chang said. “I can’t feel more proud of how our team has progressed through the years and am so happy about this milestone that we are achieving.”

Overall, the meet on Wednesday provided a preview of what to expect in the championships on Nov. 4 and 11. For some, it will be a chance to achieve new records and wrap up a successful cross country season. For others, it represents an opportunity to enjoy a bonding moment with their team. For the top competitors —  senior Jake Ramirez and girls’ varsity, notably — this day offers the possibility to showcase all of their tireless work in the hopes of making it to the State championships. 

“The championships mean everything to us,” Haggarty said. “We’ve worked really hard for this and have been through a lot to prepare for it and it would mean the world if we could achieve this goal.”