GD: What class are you from? 

MD: I am from the class of 2010. Go Juniors! 

GD: Why did you decide to do Cross Country this year? 

MD: Some people think that I am crazy because of this but I really enjoy running long distances. Also, I wanted join a sport which I could enjoy and help me take my mind off of school for a while. 

GD: Describe your team in a couple of sentences.

MD: This year's team is pretty big, yet I find it remarkable how close we are as a whole, and how well we know each other. Every practice, I end up meeting a new person on the team or getting better acquainted with another. 

Many of us end up bringing a bunch of homework to do everytime we go to a meet. We end up not getting much work done though, because we are in a rush to go cheer for our fellow teammates as they pass through the difficult areas of a course and the finish line. Each person has their unique strengths both physically and in terms of personality. For example, Ryan Curtin and Eric Von Loon love hilly terrains and so they end up doing pretty well at meets that have steep hills. To sum it all up, our team is very tight-knit and much so like a family. 

GD: Does Cross Country / not help you with your academics? How? 

MD: Cross Country can be pretty brutal to your homework schedule especially when you have a big test the next day or a essay deadline due at midnight on turnitin.com. Having Cross-country meets and practices afterschool has made planning ahead and managing my time a definite necessity. Cross-country demands me to be a more responsible and organized student.   

GD: What is a normal practice day in Cross Country? (What is it that you normally do?) 

MD: It's hard to predict what we usually do since the difficulty of our practices are dictated by what days our meets are. On a normal week, though, Mondays are usually the hardest, with practice ranging from 6-8 miles on average.Tuesdays or Wednesdays are usually intervals days when we go out to the track and focus on improving our speed. The distance is a lot shorter compared to road runs but that's only because we have to run so much harder in shorter distances with a few minutes of rest between each set. The intervals range from 4 laps, sets of 3 laps, sets of 2 laps, and sets of 1 lap on the track. Thursdays are usually our moderate days with road runs ranging from 3-5 miles. Fridays are our lightest days when we run between 1 1/2 -3 miles or sometimes we may play a game like Capture the Flag.   

GD: Why is Cross Country a sport worthwhile to join? 

MD: The mileage that we run each practice may seem intimidating at first but you will get used to it. Cross-Country gets your body fit and your heart pumping more blood. Those dreadful mile mondays in PE don't seem that hard anymore after cross-country. Like I said before, Cross Country helps a student develop time management skills. But more importantly, cross country is not only about running but also about the relationships that you are able to build with your fellow teammates. The friends you make in cross country can provide you with consolation, advice, and support not only during season but also off season. The coolest thing is that you get to make friends from different grades.  

GD: Is Mr. Chaldu a great coach? 

MD: Yes, Mr. Chaldu is a very great coach. Sometimes he pushes us really hard but that is only because he wants us to get better and be better prepared. I remember getting so frusturated and angry at Chaldu this one time when he told us to go on this road run when the temperature was around 105 degree! The air quality wasn't exactly great either, but I understand that the reason that Chaldu made us run that route was because he wanted us to be physically and mentally prepared for the rougher routes that we might run in the future. Chaldu may push us hard but he does have mercy. He recognizes when we are trying really hard and tries not to push us over our limit. Chaldu is awesome. 

GD: What would you like the rest of the school to know about cross country? 

MD: Come join cross-country! It is a really great experience socially and physically. There are many potential athletes at school that are very capable running yet they do not try out cross-country. If more athletes joined, OA XC would have a better chance at succeeding and doing well at our future meets. I love XC.