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Taking off, varsity girls lead the 5,000 meter run. The varsity girls team placed 5th overall in the district competition. “My favorite thing about cross country is the girls and how much we have gotten to each other,” Captain Theresa Bell ’26 said.
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Gathering in a circle, Cross Country Varsity Boys team huddles before the race to boost team confidence. Varsity Boys placed 3rd overall and has advanced onto the regional competition. “Giving it your all and growing closer as a team is really what I feel is most important for a team to be successful,” Girls Captain Theresa Bell ‘26 said.
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Jogging, Girls Captain Theresa Bell ’26 runs the 5,000 meter run. Bell finished in 29th place with a time of 20:47.20. “What I enjoy the most about meets is pushing myself past my limits,” Bell said. “I like proving to myself that I can go faster.”
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Racing against their closest rivals, the cross-country team played in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) District Competition on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Playing against each team in the district, the boys’ team placed 3rd, while the girls placed 5th. The Warriors had three top-20 placements: Sivin Naik ‘26 at ninth, Santiago Sanchez ‘25 at 18th, and Preeya Panwalker ‘28, who finished 18th in the girls’ competition.
“I really enjoy how it feels after the race,” Ava Saberi ‘27 said. “The adrenaline is pumping and you’re done with the race, the hard part is over and you just get to enjoy being done with it.”
Panwalker ranked first out of the seven Westwood varsity girls and finished the race with a 19:46 time, not only leading the varsity girls’ team but also breaking a personal record.
“I could not have dreamt for a better result at districts,” Panwalker said. “Going under 20 minutes in the 5,000 [meter run], especially in my freshman year, was something I didn’t even think I could do, so honestly I couldn’t be more happy with my performance.”
To ensure that cross-country will perform even better and achieve higher scores, runners plan on doing more long and consistent runs to improve their stamina and speed for the coming contests.
“Consistency is key in running,” Saberi said. “If you consistently are running and increasing your mileage, you’ll definitely get better, you’ll see progress, you’ll open the capacity in your lungs.”
The varsity boys’ team will compete at the State meet in Corpus Christi on Wednesday, Oct. 23 to try and continue their streak of excellence.
