Le Ataata O Tau Lelei I'atala took third place in last week’s meet.
What’s “your sport?” Could it be cross country?
Cross country is an outdoor distance running sport, with typical races for high school students being 3 miles. It requires a lot of mental strength, integrity and passion.
The University Academy cross country team is run by Coach Adam Blackstock. The athletes on the team for the 2024 season are freshmen Bria Chase-Rhodes, DeAnthony Hicks and Ziyon Garry-Bey, and sophomore Le Ataata O Tau Lelei I’atala.
I’atala is a new student to UA, and this is also her first year trying cross country. She has earned a couple medals already this season, including third place in the recent Swope Park Stampede meet. I’atala said she likes cross country because it builds endurance and helps to build up her stamina.
The UA cross country team is competing in eight meets this season before conferences and districts. They have a few local meets as close as Swope Park, and they also compete in meets as far as Sedalia, Missouri.
I’atala offered some advice for successful running.
She said, “Focus on your breathing and try to keep your posture upright, especially at the starting line!”
Although cross country is not I’atala’s first choice of sport, as basketball is her favorite, she still enjoys the sport and the experience it gives her with her teammates and the socializing that comes with it.
Coach Blackstock’s goal is to coach his athletes to achieve and succeed in this sport.
He said the best part of coaching is “being able to see athletes improve when they go out and compete each time and being able to encourage them when they are at their weakest.”
Now Coach Blackstock has not always been a cross country coach. He was actually a track coach for his son to help him improve, and he decided to stay involved with coaching ever since. As he coaches, he believes academics are a top priority, even for athletes.
“If you can’t excel in class, then you can’t excel outside the classroom with a sport.” He said
it takes mental strength to work and finish a course in a race. If students don’t have integrity and perseverance in class, then they may not have it on the track, either.
One major thing Coach Blackstock said he would change if possible is the running route availability in Kansas City.
He said, “If I had the option, I would add more inner city areas to practice, more dedicated areas for running cross country or track. Lots of places in the suburbs have courses they can run on, but we do not. We’re running in the streets.”
Coach Blackstock said this year’s team is very promising, and a few athletes could even make it to state if they continue with the sport.
Hicks said, “Doing cross country makes me want to work harder than I did before.”
Along with some other of his teammates, Hicks likes cross country and believes it is a good sport to do especially for someone looking to get into shape. Hicks believes students should try everything they can in their freshman year to figure out what they actually like.
Hicks said, “Sports in high school aren’t as limited as middle school when wanting to try something new.”
Try something new, and maybe that “something new” is cross country.