By Aaron Valdez
In a sport that is arguably the epitome of the saying, “It’s easier said than done,” the Monrovia cross country team is in peak condition for their season this fall.
Led by Head Coach Nolan Shaheed, the Wildcats have their work cut out for them but are more than ready for the long haul.
Last season, Monrovia remained highly competitive throughout their 2017 campaign. However, once the final meets started rolling around, some of the team’s top runners were riddled with injuries, hurting their chances to qualify for CIF.
Shaheed, who is entering his eighth year as head coach at Monrovia, is still competing himself and holds a handful of American and world records. When placed at the helm, Shaheed said he wanted to implement a culture of not only winning, but also academia into the cross country program.
“I want to develop these high schools kids into adults,” Shaheed said. “I have put a big emphasis on academics and I want to ensure that the kids get a great opportunity to make it in this world when they grow out of high school.”
This upcoming season, Shaheed is hopeful the Wildcats’ hard work during these dog days of summer can help them in the latter parts of year. The team will feature several key returners including captain Roberto Soto on the boys’ side and Alayna Peters on the girls’ side.
