The boys cross country team’s successful season ended on a high note as the Bulldogs placed  second behind Walter Johnson at the state meet at Hereford High School Nov. 14. The girls overcame a season riddled with illness to finish seventh. 

The boys proved to be one of the top teams in the state, surpassing even coach Jacobson’s expectations.  Sophomore Will Conway led CHS, finishing first among the seven runners who qualified for the states.

“This is the best performance by the guys cross country in at least the last 20 years,” senior Tarek Elhage said. “We are all proud of getting second in the state, not many people can say that.”

The girls beat their previous season’s record at the state meet by five places as they finished seventh place. The outbreak of swine flu and seasonal flu hurt the runners throughout the season and had been an obstacle to the team’s success. Standout senior Maryam Fikri was the last victim, as a mild fever prevented her from matching her usual performance.

“This season was very rocky and we had our ups and downs but we grew strong as a team,” Fikri said. “We pushed through them as a team and became closer.”

The girls will be put to the test next season as seniors Fikri, Alex Geidd and Sophie Jacobson and junior Vera Johne will not be returning. However, several strong underclassmen are expected to step up in their place.

“Charlotte Bourg who has grown to be our top runner will lead the team next year,” Fikri said. “She is very dedicated and there is no doubt that she will be an awesome leader and push the team to further success.”

Despite the loss of seniors Elhage and Sei Masuoka, the team is optimistic about next season. The boys will have three key returning sophomores in Conway, Zach Weinstein and Luke Shannon as well as rising seniors Justin Rheingold and Alex Kim who should be  big factors in the team’s success.

“The camaraderie is tremendous and we are returning a great deal on the guy’s side in  2010,” coach Steve Bettis said. “No matter what, we will continue to challenge the top teams in the county, region and state.”