Cross country has had a great start to the season, starting off with their first meet on Aug. 19 with the boys’ team finishing first overall and the girls finishing in fifth place. The girls’ team finished fifth overall with an average time of  25:08. 

Last season, both the boys’ teams and girls’ teams did very well in an extremely competitive year. The girls finished second place in the 1A-Division 1 State Championships, and the boys team finished third place in the 1A-Division 1 State Championships. 

The team is looking to continue their success this year. Boys’ captain Owen Tobias ’24 said “Whether I am racing for the State Championship, or running around in my neighborhood, it has always just been about just being better than I was yesterday.” 

Cross country is great for personal improvement, as girls captain Sisi Elkinson ’25 says that, “Every runner, no matter their speed, can always aim for a new personal best at any time.”  The cross country runners look forward to meeting their goals for a great season. Paideia has excelled at all of their meets so far, and did particularly well on the Dragon Invitational meet on Sept. 14th 2023 with both the varsity and junior varsity boys getting first in their respective competitions, and the varsity girls getting third overall in their competition.