Woodstock Cross Country Article

Gopika Vaspate | March 19, 2025

Promo by Scarlett Yu

The Woodlands School is known for having an abundance of successful clubs, teams, and extracurricular activities—and our sports teams are no joke. Cross-country is both an individual and team outdoor sport in which students compete to run a certain distance the fastest over natural terrain. Novices (grade 9s) run four kilometres, Juniors (grade 10s) run five kilometres, and Seniors (grade 11s and 12s) run six kilometres. Our cross country team started practices very early in the school year, and after three strong races, have wrapped up their season. The Woodlands’ cross-country athletes ran rain or shine for four days a week, and trained hard for all their meets. To get a perspective from a member of the team, we’ve interviewed a Grade 9 student at the Woodlands who started doing cross-country this year and has already made great progress. They would like to remain anonymous. 

The Woodstock (W): Hi, how are you doing today?

Anonymous Participant (AP): I’m good, how about you?

W: Good too, thanks! So, let’s start with the cross country questions. What motivated you to join cross country?

AP: I would say that some big motivations for me were that I had a friend who was also joining with me, and my sister, who wanted me to try out for it because she thought it would be good for me. 

W: Friends and family are always a great motivation for anyone to join sports or clubs! It’s great that you were influenced by the people around you. So, how do you normally feel the day before a meet?

AP: Very nervous. Excited, but nervous. 

W: Haha, that’s unfortunately a very real feeling, especially right before an exciting event. On to our next question. Do you think you've improved between the first and last time you ran? 

AP: Yeah, I actually got rid of some time which I’m pretty happy about.

W: That’s great! How much time, exactly?

AP: Around two minutes.

W: Wow, it really goes to show what hard work and dedication can turn into. Would you pursue cross-country in future years?

AP: Yes, because I think it’s good for me to have a sport to do and also so I don't spend a lot of time doing nothing and sitting around all day. The competition day was also really fun, I liked the environment and the vibe overall.

W: I’m glad you’re going to continue cross country, it’s a great activity to pursue, especially when you get older. And finally, the last question, what are some words of encouragement you would give to new cross-country members or people who want to join?

AP: You should totally try it out! It’s really fun and the people are super nice and encouraging. You get to meet new people, the meets are super fun too, and you get to improve your fitness. 

W: Well, I definitely know what team I’ll be trying out for next year. Thank you so much for participating in this interview, and I hope you’ll continue to collaborate with The Woodstock. Have a great day!

AP: Thanks, you as well!

The students of the Woodlands are nothing short of hardworking and dedicated, so we are sure that in the years to follow, we will have students who will be heading to OFSAA (provincials). And if you’re interested in trying out a new sport, building your endurance or speed, or just improving your cardio, consider trying out for this amazing team!