“I’m gonna keep this short. This is the first time we’re here, but it’s not gonna be the last. So let’s have fun and be focused on our performance.”
This was the pre-race speech given by Boys’ Team Captain Nick Rechel (‘28) three minutes before the gun went off at the Division V Boys 3.1-mile race in Fresno on November 29th. Only two days after Thanksgiving, the brisk North Californian air was noticeably colder than what the La Jollan athletes had grown accustomed to this season.
A monumental event for the Bishop’s cross country team, the 2025 State Meet marked the first time in 14 years that both the Boys’ and Girls’ Teams qualified for California’s biggest meet in Fresno. For a team that has been slowly climbing the ranks to the state level, lining up with some of the best schools was both a rewarding milestone and a heavy reminder. As Nathan Hong (‘27) put it: “We’re in the big leagues now.”
Warmup
An hour before the race starts, the teams embark on their warmups, a crucial 10 to 15-minute jog meant to loosen muscles and soothe nerves before the race. For many, this was the moment to get in game mode. Although teams generally jog together, the runners were clearly individually concentrating during their warmup through Woodward Park.
Captain Ayanna Hickey (‘26) said that this is her time to “lock in,” adding, “It’s actually really nice. I like to warm up by myself.” Dynamic stretches and strides follow the jog, providing a familiar routine in the unfamiliar setting.
On the Line
When asked what he was thinking on the starting line, Nathan responded that he felt like he was “gonna die. [The race] is gonna hurt.”
A sacred tradition of cross country races, passionate fans lean over the edge of course barriers and ring cowbells to encourage the runners. However, this had the opposite effect on Eleanor Meyer (‘26), who said, “I think people need to stop ringing their cowbells. They’re really annoying.”
The few minutes before a race are often the most stressful of the entire meet due to loud crowds, rising tensions, and those pesky cowbells, but eventually, the athletes find themselves standing on the line, 3.1 miles awaiting them beyond it.
Once on the line, a call resounded from the speaker that stood tall and firm just outside the starting area: “There will be two commands. You will hear ‘On your marks,’ and then the gun will go off.”
And so it did. A mass of high schoolers from every corner of the state clustered together and took off when the deafening boom that is the starting gun echoed through the park.
But merely 50 meters into the boys’ race, a second shot went off. And then a third. Every cross country runner’s deepest, darkest fear had occurred in that grassy path: a false start. The recall of all runners happens when an athlete moves before the starting gun.
A few runners questioned, “What happened?” but most focused on controlling their breathing as they retreated to the starting line. Though discouraging, false starts aren’t totally unusual. Beckett Langager (‘29) even “half expected it,” explaining that false starts “could make you more nervous, but, for me, I think it helped me get in the zone.”
Once they returned to the line and the starting gun went off for the second time, though, the first mile of the Division V Boys race had officially started, and no one looked back.
Mile 1
The Girls’ Division V 3.1-mile race, which had gotten off to a much smoother start than the boys, saw a quick first mile with Ayanna crossing the first marker in the top 10. Nerves were clearly high at the beginning of the race, but many girls like Isabella Bredt (‘27) still ran their fastest mile of the season. “Coach always says to go out hard,” Isabella explained, “so I was trying to get a really fast first mile.”
The boys were no different as Nick led the Knights with a 5:04 first mile, another season best. “I think coach just said to go out fast, and I went out pretty fast,” Nick said. As it often does, the first mile passed quickly for the Bishop’s teams — perhaps too fast because 2.1 miles remained. The fear of overextending themselves in the first mile was prevalent among the Knights, though Isabella assured herself that “[coach] will drag us off the [course] if something really bad happens.” This thought stuck with the athletes as they entered mile two of 3.1.
Mile 2
“My race plan was to just go out kind of fast and then just try and hang on to the same pace the whole time, and then think I executed pretty well,” Nathan explained, reflecting on the first mile. With the first mile done, Nathan, along with other athletes, was able to see their strategy come into play. Lying in the dead center of the race, the second mile proves to be one of the most important periods, testing the mental fortitude and physical endurance of runners. The crowd disappears in the distance, and the runners settle into a quiet rhythm.
As the initial adrenaline rush left their bodies and cheering was replaced with heavy breathing and footsteps, attention shifted to the environment. When asked about the conditions, Tejas Gluth (‘28) said, “I think it was perfect. I don’t think it could have been better. It was a little cold, and I wore my gloves, and I was really happy that I did. But I think it was perfect conditions.”
Though abnormal to the San Diegans, cold weather actually proved to be a refreshing cooldown for their sweating bodies, as opposed to the often unforgiving heat in southern races like in Escondido. For her second year at this meet, Eleanor said, “It wasn’t as cold [as last year], so I think for that reason I performed better.”
The Knights flew through the second mile in both Girls’ and Boys’ races, but just as things were looking up, suddenly, the terrain was too. An 82-foot hill presented the next challenge, and Bishop’s proved to be worthy. Ayanna said she “actually pushed up [the hill],” maintaining speed where others broke, almost stunned by her own effort after the race. Priding themselves on a season filled with hill-training, the maroon and white covered athletes powered through and made it to the third and final mile.
Mile 3(.1)
The final full mile had arrived, and the course stretched out under a wide, open sky as the runners tried to sustain whatever momentum they had left. Finally, with the lactic acid burning their legs, the finish line was in sight.
Nick reflected, “Mind over matter. I just gotta remember how badly I want to do well. And that’s gotta just push me through.” Nathan added that the crowd and other runners helped him make it to the end. “I was with two other guys, but the crowd pushed me at the end to have a good kick,” he said.
On the girls’ side, Eleanor used the fact that it was her last race to force herself to the finish line, saying, “I think that was really motivating me because I had to leave everything out there.” Isabella also used personal goals to get through the last section. “I was really trying to beat my PR from last year. That’s just what kept pushing me.”
In the last portion of the race, the Knights flew through the moist, grassy finish, riding on the crowd and their teammates as motivation to conclude an extremely successful season — which included both the boys’ and girls’ second place in their local Division V league, advancing to this state meet
Ultimately, the girls finished the meet with a 13th place finish out of 24 teams, with Ayanna leading the girls and earning a seventh place finish overall. On the boys’ side, they finished 22nd overall, with Nick leading the team at 64th place out of 203 runners.
What’s Next
Being a young team, the Knights have much potential for future successful cross country seasons, with the girls’ team losing only two seniors on varsity, and the boys losing none. Still, Cross Country Coach Ms. Isabelle Davis noted, “We have a lot of work to do. It was a good first [state] meet, but we can’t fully compete at the caliber that other teams do.”
Despite this, the team remains hopeful. Eleanor, one of the graduating seniors this year, expressed that she’s “really excited to see what you guys do next year and also for track season.”
