Including all terrains, from flat stretches of dirt and grass, to rough inclined pavement and a 200m finish on the track, the CCA Ravens XC Invitational held the first three-mile race of the season for boys cross country. The meet ended with seven of nine boys setting personal records, and Westview placing seventh of 24 teams in the varsity boys race. 

 With the black and gold “W” on their jerseys and victory in their minds, the nine varsity boys stood behind the starting line, ready to push themselves to the limit out on the course.

Parker McDevitt (11) ran the course for the first time this year.e. Smashing his personal record by 11 seconds to get a time of  15:27 and place 17th out of 250, McDevitt said that the meet ended successfully.

“It was the first time in almost a year I had a personal record bigger than half a second in anything from cross country and track.” Mcdevitt said. “I crossed the line finally and it was an overwhelming feeling where I just threw my arms up and was so happy.”

However, McDevitt said his confidence was low at the start of his race due to the brutality of getting off the starting line. 

“The gun went off, and in the first 100 meters, I felt my legs burning,” McDevitt said. “People went in front of me immediately and I already felt boxed in.”

In spite of a difficult start to the race, McDevitt’s determined mindset carried him to the finish.

“Even though it hurt a lot, I just thought, if I’m not feeling pain I’m not trying hard enough,” McDevitt said. “It was the first time I was actually able to sprint the last 100m of the race, and I was able to pass two people.”

McDevitt said that this race gave him high hopes for the rest of the season.

“I feel a lot more confident because before the race, I didn’t know how well I would do in a three-mile, considering what I have been doing in the past,” McDevitt said. “I started off a great freshman cross country year breaking freshman school records almost every week. Come track season I got really close to my records but then burnt out mid-season.”

McDevitt said that unfortunate streak continued through the rest of his sophomore year for a variety of reasons ranging from terrible hours of sleep to not being mentally prepared for training. Therefore, he always felt unsure about his performances during races. This year Mcdevitt went into the season with newfound determination and drive, which he says came from his new workouts and stronger mindset.

“This summer I upped my training and added many things in like weight lifting.” McDevitt said. “Secondly, my mentality was different. During this race, there was nothing more I wanted than to feel like I put my all into the race.”

Differing from the years of cross country experience that McDevitt has, Tobias Rivera Garcia (10), not only ran his first mile of the season at the meet, but his first ever three-mile race for Westview cross country.  

Rivera Garcia said he had no expectations for himself going into the race. With no sense of how to pace himself or what time he should aim for, his only strategy was to follow his teammates. 

Surprising himself  he ran a time of 16:38.5, placing him in the top third of the 250 boys in his race. Rivera Garcia said he couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome for his first race. 

Despite exceeding expectations, Rivera Garcia’s race wasn’t all smooth sailing.  

“On the last straight before turning onto the track I rolled my ankle,” Rivera Garcia said. “I slowed down a bit and hobbled my way to the finish line.” 

Rivera Garcia said this was a painful finish to the race, but one he pushed through and crossed the finish line happy with what he had accomplished.

“After the race I was very optimistic, since my improvement was much larger than I expected,” Rivera Garcia said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do this year.”

With successful ends to the race all around, McDevitt says he couldn’t have done it without his main support system, his team.

“My team is my biggest support group,” McDevitt said. “We are always pushing each other to try and get everyone to do their best. During the race, my teammates and coaches were cheering me on. It encourages me since I know that there are people there to support me and want me to succeed. I didn’t want to let them down.”