By Kelsey Kramer Posted October 24, 2024
For the 2024 cross country season, there are two athletes that have stood out to Mr. Larry Renteria. Freshman Anden Thomas and junior Mariah Ramos were selected by their coach to be Student-Athletes of the Week.
Although this is only Thomas’s first year, he has shown dedication to his improvement as well as his team’s.
“Anden comes ready to train for every practice,” said Renteria. “Whether it is a 6-mile run with hill repeats or a short-term recovery day, you can count on Anden to be there and do his best for himself and his team.”
He never complains about practice and always strives to do his best, and is driven to improve.
“Never once has Anden complained about training, his assignments, or his teammates,” said Renteria. “When it comes to race time, Anden embraces his assignment and strategy from the coaches, and challenges himself to improve.”
Anden Thomas is a team player who exhibits a high level of skill and continues to grow.
“Even though Anden is only a freshman, he has been competing and doing well at the varsity level and junior varsity level,” said Renteria. “He has exceeded expectations and set standards for others to follow. With Anden’s attitude, dedication, and training, the sky’s the limit this season and into the future, as he is improving daily.”
Mariah Ramos is a junior who has been a part of the cross-country team for two years and continues to put in hard work and dedication.
“Mariah comes to practice, puts in the work, and quietly exceeds the expectations on race day,” said Renteria. “When given her assignment and a race strategy, she executes.”
Ramos excels in races, meeting her personal goals, and supporting her team. She models what it means to be a good teammate and improves each day.
“Whether it is a long-term goal of setting a personal record on a course or an immediate goal of passing two competitors on the course, Mariah smiles and says, ‘Okay coach,’ then digs deep to make sure she does what is needed so that her team can be more successful,” said Renteria.
Ramos likes the individuality of the sport but also the feeling of being a team.
“It is an individual pushing sport,” said Ramos. “Our coaches are really supportive, but it’s kind of like you are competing against yourself. We now have a lot of people, so it is like a team effort, but you are really competing against yourself.”
Ramos prepares for each race by hydrating, eating pasta, and mentally preparing herself.
“Talking about it with our coaches and not wanting them to be disappointed is enough to mentally push me,” said Ramos.
Ramos enjoys cross country because of the feeling of accomplishment.
“I think it’s kind of cool to just do it to run 5 miles,” said Ramos. “I think that’s great. I think it’s something not a lot of kids can do, so it feels nice to be able to do it.”
