Cross Country

2024 CROSS COUNTRY SEASON INFORMATION

I am excited for my 20th year as the head cross country coach here at Cupertino Middle School. Cross Country is a NO CUT SPORT. Cross Country is one of 3 sports in Season 1 (Boys Basketball, Girls Softball) which spans from 8/27/24-10/9/24. Cupertino Middle School has a long standing tradition as the most dominant and successful Cross Country program in the Cupertino After School Sports League. There are 4 competitive practice meets in a season (every Wednesday) that lead the League Finals meet (also on a Wednesday) where teams compete for League Titles.

Welcome Letter

On the first practice of the season I will be handing out a Welcome Letter to all the athletes with critical information about the season. Click HERE to download a copy in case your athlete didn't get a copy.

Season Format

There are 6 division in cross country:

6th Grade Girls
7th Grade Girls
8th Grade Girls
6th Grade Boys
7th Grade Boys
8th Grade Boys

In the 3rd week of the season, athletes will compete in their first practice meet (of 4 total) which involves all of the middle schools in our sports league which is well over 1000 total athletes. There are 6 races that take place, one for each division. Meets take about 90 minutes to complete. Distances range from 1.2-2 miles. Each hosting school sets up their own course and the distances vary because of this. All 4 of the practice meets follow the same structure. The 5th meet of the season, which is the only official meet (which is usually 2 miles in length and the longest of the season), is called League Finals. In the League Finals meet, schools compete to try and win as many of the 6 division titles as they can. The school that wins the most divisions is called the "League Champion" school.

How To Register

All the information you will need in order to register for Cross Country is found on this Valley Athletic League link. At the very top of the page you want to click the "Enroll" button to sign your child up for the Cross Country team. Please make any type of donation you can to the program because it helps to fund it moving forward and it is a really integral part of the After School Sports Program. Any donation will be greatly appreciated.

Parent Google Form (once you are on the team)

Since the team is typically so large, the most effective way to communicate with the team is via a group email. It is mandatory for parents/guardians to fill out this FORM for their athlete(s). Please take a couple minutes to do so.

2024 Practice and Meet Schedule

The 2024 Cross Country season begins on Tuesday, 8/27/24 out by the track field. The season will run until the League Final Meet on Wednesday, 10/9/24. Click HERE to download and print the full season schedule which includes both practices and meets. All times and days may be subject to change. I will communicate changes to athletes via Google Classroom posts.

Google Classroom

I will be be communicating with the team on a regular basis using the Cross Country 2024 Google Classroom. It is mandatory that every athlete get into the Cross Country Google Classroom Team Page. I will hand out the code at practice. You can ask your athlete to add you to the classroom.

Team Shirts

I have designed the 2024 team shirt. I will be giving instructions on how to order it on the Google Classroom team page as well as sending an email to all parents. Shirts will be about $20.

Direction/Maps to Meets

Click HERE for maps and directions to all of the away meet schools.

Meet Results

Meet results will be posted on Google Classroom and sent to all parents that fill out the Parent Form.

Volunteering at Home Meets

If you are interested in volunteering at our Cross Country home meet on 9/25 (and trust me, we need parent help), click HERE to get cleared by the district. This will also clear you to volunteer for a lot of other awesome campus stuff including Track and Field at the end of the year.

CC Practice and Meet Dress Code

For cross country practices all athletes need to come prepared in a workout attire. They do not have to wear Cupertino Middle School sponsored workout clothes, just ones that are comfortable to run in. I recommend running shorts and sweat wicking tops.

For meets, every runner must wear a Cupertino Middle School PE uniform shirt or a Team Shirt. Shirts can not be blank, they have to have school colors and be school sponsored. Usually we have Team Shirts for the 2nd half of the season. In the meantime, runners can use their PE Uniform shirts.