We spent our Saturday morning with Monte Vista Cross Country team at the Hot Creek Hatchery Road outside of Mammoth, CA. Monte Vista, known as the Mustangs, is in Danville, Ca and qualified both teams to the division 2 CIF Cross Country State Championship last fall under the leadership of Coach Patrick Wales-Dinan. They were on a long run in the middle of a two-week team camp at Mammoth Lakes, Ca.
Coach Wales- Dinan explained the camp: We've been here just about a little under a week. We got here Sunday and it's Saturday now, so we will be here another week. I think we stayed like nine for ten days last year and the year before that the year before that we were actually going to go up Mount Shasta, but then there was like a huge fire. A week before I realized we weren't going to be able to go to that location and we just decided, alright we'll try and come here. We've been coming here ever since, and we only came like five days that that first year.
We run in the mornings, and we only run pretty much once a day. In the afternoons we often go to Shady Rest Park and yesterday we played flag football. The day before they played in the sprinklers out there. They're supposed to bring a volleyball, but they forgot one, so we haven't played volleyball last year we played a lot of volleyball that that was a theme and last year we played. Last year they played a lot of Risk.
We stay in condos with many more people than anticipated. I think last year was our biggest group. We had eleven kids and this year we have 24 plus we have three alumni here. The three alumni are kind of acting of camp counselors.
Today's run is actually our long run so most will run between like eight to nine miles and maybe a couple might do ten.
We talked to two student athletes and asked: what are some of the highlights of team camp?
Owen Brandeis: Training is altitude is the best part. The benefit of the running altitude is the placebo effect. It makes me feel like I am better shape and gives me confidence.
Alexandra Powell: I really just enjoy hanging out with everyone because we don't always get to hang out as a group during the season. We've gone down to the village and gotten ice cream. I just like just hanging out and doing stuff with everyone.
What do you look forward to this fall?
Owen: I look forward to my studies and my classes. I also look forward to all the competition in the races this season.
Alexandra: I'm really excited just to race because I feel fit right now and I think that's it'll be exciting to see like what I can do and what the team can do.
The photo gallery of Monte Vista’s long run is HERE