Last Saturday, the Torrance High Cross Country team prevailed at Rosemead High School for the annual Invitational. The Tartars ended up placing 2nd to Millikan High School in the Senior Boys race and 3rd in the Senior Girls to Flintridge and Roosevelt. Torrance also took 2nd in the Junior Girls race.
The Rosemead Invitational is one of the biggest meets of the year, featuring as many as 45 schools in one race. Tripping and elbowing is not uncommon in the first quarter mile, with hundreds of runners packed into the starting line.
Almost all of the races take place at night, with the latest being the Senior Boys race at 9:30 p.m.
With the heat all across last week, it was difficult for the team to get training in to prepare for the race. The heat was intense enough that practice for many sports across Southern California had been canceled or limited, with highs of 106°F in certain areas.
Some runners appreciated the heat, however. Like Raphael Noa, a Senior, who said he feels “the heat wave only strengthens the training, in terms of mentality and heat resistance.” He adds that “not all races are going to be in perfect conditions, and the heat prepares us for that.”
With the annual Woodbridge Invitational coming up this Friday, the team took Rosemead as an opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t at courses like these.
“I got out very hard, way faster than I normally do, which worked out very well for me.” says Alyssa Moreno, a Junior.
With their success at Rosemead, the Tartars believe they have the momentum for a good race at Woodbridge, taking place Friday at the Great Park in Irvine.
