Having endured the heat of the day, the girls’ frosh/soph cross-country team took first place in an All Division race at the 36^th annual Griffith Park Invitational on Sept. 26.

Running in 90-degree weather, freshman Meghan Nevarez led her team up the treacherous hills of Griffith Park and placed third out of a total of 198 runners. Nevarez finished the course in just 19:45.

“Most us were nervous before the race,” said Nevarez about herself and her teammates.

Although they were nervous, the team was fully prepared for the hilly course, having previously trained at Whittier Hills several times a week. Her teammates depending on her, Nevarez pushed her way to the top of every hill and never gave up, knowing that she could do it.

Following Nevarez was her teammate, sophomore Allisa Weisenburger.

“If it wasn’t for those workouts at Whittier Hills, I would have run a bad race,” said Weisenburger.

Although she was trained for the hilly course, Weisenburger couldn’t help but feel like

her quads were on fire as she ran up the hillsides.

“At some point, I wanted to quit and just walk,” she said.

Not wanting to disappoint her coach, Weisenburger prevailed and pushed on, taking sixth place and finished in 20:24.

“Come on, Allison, don’t give up! You’re almost there,” said freshman Allison Barrera repeatedly to herself, as she struggled to reach the top of the hills.

Barrera said she knew that there was a medal for her at the end of the finish line.

“I just had to cross it before the runners behind me,” she said.

Self -motivated, Barrera found the will to keep running and finished in eighth place, receiving a course time of 20:36.

Pumped and ready to run at the starting line, freshman Nizreen Risk was determined to place in the top ten. Risk scaled the hillsides of Griffith Park and she took tenth place, with a course time of 20:38. Tiring, hot, and awesome was how Risk summarized the race, which she said expected to be a lot worse.

It took the girls’ frosh/soph cross-country team many days of hill training and constant motivation from their teammates and coach to get where they are. They are constantly reaching for improvement and focused on earning the title of being the best. These girls are at the top of their game, quads and calves flexed to the max, and hearts pumping at full speed.