The Paly Cross Country Team is looking forward to a successful season. After a strong Track and Field season and summer workouts, the team is ready to dominate this fall. 

“I’m looking forward to another great season”, Morgenfeld said. “The team worked hard over the summer and it will be exciting to watch as we take that energy into the fall”. 

The team is looking up to senior captain Grant Morgenfeld to lead the team to a CCS victory. Morgenfeld finished 18th in last year’s CIF state final and is one of the fastest runners in CCS. 

The boys’ team last year had a very strong roster, but injuries among top runners prevented the team from reaching states. Even so, the team is looking to bounce back.

“I’m confident that our guys can step it up and fill their shoes”, senior Tony Mckenna said. “Our team is looking strong and the bond between us is tighter than ever before. We’re looking to work our way back to being contenders and seeing where we go from there.”

Adding to the mostly new boys’ varsity roster, transfer Tristan Kippes is adding more depth. As for the girls’ team, they are hoping for an even more successful season than last year. 

“Our varsity girls had an excellent season”, senior Kyle Chang said. “They were second behind Los Altos at CCS, qualifying them for states, where they placed 4th”.

The girls’ varsity team is looking to junior Kinga Czajkowska to lead them to states again. Czajkowska placed fifth individually in last year’s CIF state final. 

The first SCVAL race is on September 19 at the Baylands in Sunnyvale. The second race is on October 3 at Crystal Springs. 

“I’m really excited to run the Crystal Springs course this year,” Birch Greffen (’24) said. “It is super challenging and definitely the hardest course we race, but also the most rewarding”

Even though the team graduated a large number of fast runners last year, both teams are set on their goal of winning CCS and making states.