Dougherty Valley Cross Country Preview: Staying Loose, a Major Key to Success

School: Dougherty Valley

Sport: Cross Country

Coach: Stephanie Bambury

Key returners: Jonathan Javier, Jesse Zipursky, Isabelle deMetz, Lauren Nakaso and Lauren Salazar

Top newcomers: Jamie Vickroy, Samay Mehta, Isabella Salazar, Rachel Ruberg and Allison Zhong

Quote: "I think a lot of people think of cross-country as an individual sport, but really it is a team sport.  We're really good at being a team and all of us run together in the races, and we push and motivate each other." – Kelsey Glayee

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In a sport that relies on good individual times, the Dougherty Valley High cross country team is emphasizing the team aspect of the sport this season.

Lauren Nakaso, a captain of the girls team, said the biggest strength of the girls team was that they run in a pack together. 

Kelsey Glayee, another captain, agrees.

"I think a lot of people think of cross country as an individual sport, but really it is a team sport," Glayee said.  "We're really good at being a team and all of us run together in the races, and we push and motivate each other."

Senior captain Zach Rice said that in order for both teams to finish better in NCS than last season they will have to rely on what he thinks the biggest strength of the boys team is, which is that they all get along very well.

"I think the strongest point for the guys' team is having fun because we have a good time and that's what fuels our running," Rice said. "If we weren't having fun I doubt any of us would be here running."

Both of the teams are trying to improve upon their finish from last season, whcih for the girls will be tougher considering the squad won the Division IV NCS title.  Nakaso said this year they aspire to qualify for the state meet as a team.  The boys squad is trying to improve its league standing in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League from last season.

"Hopefully we can finish somewhere in the top three in league," Rice said, of the boys team. "Get higher in NCS and hopefully send some kids to state."

Neither of the teams lost seniors who played an integral role on the team last season, Rice and Nakaso said. Because of this, their goal of having a better season than last seems obtainable.

Along with not losing key runners, the teams also have strong underclassmen.  Jonathan Javier, a captain of the boys team, said he believes this is the biggest difference from last season's team. 

"The juniors and sophomores are growing and I'm worried they might even start to take our spots!" Javier said.  "They will help make our team better overall."

In order to become more successful than last season, both teams agree that they need to close the gap between their top runners and the rest of the team.

"There are some really fast kids on top, and the rest of the kids kind of tail off," Rice said.  "We need to close the gap between the fast kids and the rest of the team."

Other team captains said in order to make sure the team finishes better than last season is that they need to work on their focus.

"We need to make sure we don't slack off, push and motivate each other," Nakaso said.  "We need to train harder as a team."

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