The Palo Alto High School boys’ cross-country team placed sixth in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) Championship meet at Crystal Springs yesterday.

Nate Cook (‘15) finished first for the Vikings, placing 15th overall, completing the 2.95 mile course with a time of 16:56. Justin Zhang (‘13), Ben Hawthorne (‘13), and Ben May (‘13) followed next, placing 28th, 31st, and 34th respectively, in their last race of their high school careers. Based on the results of the race, Cook has qualified to compete in the Central Coast Section (CCS) championships.Captain Kevin Lavelle (‘13), felt dissatisfied with the Vikings performance.

“I think for a lot of us are disappointed because we could have really done better,” Lavelle said. “We didn’t meet our expectations for the season which was kind of disappointing.”

He explains how the Vikings had difficulty grappling numerous challenges late in the season.

“The past couple weeks have been rough. A lot people have been sick, and [there have been] a lot of injuries. It has been tough to come back from that…” Lavelle said.

Although the competitive season has come to a close for the team as a whole, Cook will continue on to CCS where he will face the top runners in his division.

Lavelle feels confident that Cook’s work ethic and natural ability will allow him to race well.

“It’s only his sophomore season and it’s not just that he has natural talent, he also pushes himself really hard,” Lavelle said.

The CCS race will take place at Toro Park on Nov. 10.