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Cross Country Coaches
- Mario Castillo-Urbina [email protected] 5th year coach
- Tracy Wilson [email protected]m 4th year coach
- Kim Tjenalooi [email protected] 5th year strength coach
Interested Athletes
Students interested in joining the 2025 Cross Country Team, please fill out the form:
https://forms.gle/rqswes7VjAgxTctWA
Incoming freshman:
In order to make the team, incoming freshmen and students who attended the information day in the spring must be present for summer training. Consistent training over the summer shows dedication and commitment to the program.
Student Evaluations will be offered in the fall. Athletes who do not attend summer training will have a harder time making the team than those who do.
About Taft Cross Country
Taft Cross Country takes part in the Fall Semester. The team competes in 3-mile courses, and most of the races are down the street at Pierce College, which is a convenient training location for the team. Athletes start with base training (starting from running 4-8 miles and increasing miles from 10-14 a day) from June to August. September-November is competition season, where we lower the mileage and pick up the speed.
During the summer, we encourage athletes to meet up for team practices 3-4 days a week in June and 5-6 days in July. Practices take place in the morning to beat the heat, and meetups range all around local parks and trails. New athletes who have shown consistent running and are capable of keeping up with the team will be invited to a club training camp at Mammoth Lakes in late July, provided by club parents.
During the school term, student-athletes practice during 6th period and continue on until 5:15 pm. Athletes continue to train 5-6 days a week. In the case of any restricting weather conditions of extreme heat above 104 degrees and lighting conditions nearby, the team attempts to reschedule to morning practices (6 am) or indoor training.
Taft Cross Country Expectations
Complete cross-country training involves running, weight lifting, plyometrics, yoga, and visualization. This program strives to develop the athletes’ bodies as well as their minds. We encourage athletes to take pride in the term “student-athlete.” The team is highly acknowledged for having the highest collective GPA while competing at the Division 1 level.
Student athletes, please join the Remind app for all communication needs
Student Athletes join the Strava club app (communicate with coaches first)
https://www.strava.com/clubs/TAFTXCTF
Recent Taft Toreadors' accolades
- 2024 Div 1 LA City Section Girls 3rd place | Boys 5th place
- 2024 Hunter Bennett (6th overall), Ethan Barok (11th overall), and Isabella Sakalowsky (9th overall) earned a trip to the CA State Championships
- 2023 Girls Div 1 LA City Section 4th place
- 2023 Kennedy Brannon 10th overall at the LA City Section and a trip to the CA state championships
- 2022 Liz Sanchez-Tapia 10th overall at the LA City Section and a trip to the CA state championships
- 2022 Boys and Girls Div 1 LA City Section 5th place
- 2021 Boys and Girls Div 1 LA City Section 7th place
Complete the Paperwork in order to practice and compete
STEP 1
All athletes will now get cleared through https://www.homecampus.com/select-state or scan the QR code on the left.
- Click on "California."
- Create an Account
- Start a new clearance - Make sure to select 'Taft" and the correct year (2023-2024)
- Then complete ALL sections.
Once you complete the athletic clearance, you will receive an email confirmation letter. THIS DOES NOT CLEAR YOU. It simply states that this part of the process is complete.
STEP 2
Complete the Pre-participation and Physical Form
TURN THEM IN DIRECTLY TO Mr. Loza in B100 or to his mailbox in the Main Office - ORIGINALS ONLY
Pre-participation Form Checklist:
- Fill out completely and EXPLAIN ALL THE "YES" ANSWERS in the space provided or add additional paper if needed.
- Make sure it is signed by both the parent/guardian and the student-athlete.
Physical Form Checklist:
- Make sure the entire form is filled out and the doctor signs AND stamps the physical.
For the Physical form in English, Click Here.
For the Physical form in Spanish, Click Here.
