Watermelon Run 2012

Confidence is a choice—we can choose, for ourselves, how confident we want to be going into a race (or anything).  Competence helps build confidence.  Based on the display of running we saw on Thursday, Monta Vista XC looks competent and we all should choose to be confident as the start of the season approaches!

The 2012 edition of the Monta Vista Cross Country team got on the line for the first time on Thursday, August 30 to celebrate one of our favorite traditions—the Watermelon Run!

Every year early in the XC season, Monta Vista runs a time trial on a course in Stevens Canyon Park.  This trial is used to help us see what our fitness level is early in the season, and remind us a little bit of what it feels like to race.  The Watermelon Run is a good time for veterans to start busting a little rust off of their racing engines, and for novices to get an idea of what they have go themselves into!

And we look pretty good!   MV had 100 runners complete the Watermelon Run this year.  Of our returning runners, 76% improved their times from last year!   The highlight was the twelve runners who dropped their times by more than TWO MINUTES from last year—you know that these runners have worked hard over the summer to improve!  Here is the list of those fantastic 12:

Most Improved Watermelon Run Times—2012

The first boy and girl finishers were sophomores Rohan Choudhury and Jenny Xu, and the leading newcomer runners were frosh Brent Mogensen and Maddie Yip.

The girls’ team looked especially impressive—recording the fastest team time in the Watermelon Run since 2005 (as far back as my records and Coach Payne’s records go), and the first time we ever had 5 girls go lower than 20 minutes.  Here is a comparison of team times from past years:

Top Five Results by Year

Great job, everyone!  Individual results are below.

2012 Watermelon Run/Matador Time Trial Individual Results