The
Orange Lutheran cross country teams are back in action this week as they kick off their season on August 30 with the Saddleback Cup Challenge at Trabuco Hills.
On the girls side of the program, the Lancers are coming off of a
CIF-SS Division 4 Finals appearance last fall and are looking to head back to that race at Mt. SAC this November. The varsity team will be led by junior Sarabella Stakely, along with seniors
Amber Larsen and
Jessica Vandenberg. In the frosh/soph group, returning sophomore
Celia Titera is joined by a number of newcomers, many who are multi-sport athletes, including sophomore
Grace Anderson and freshmen
Kamryn Anderson and
Randi Birkbeck.
"We have several girls out from sports like water polo and soccer," says OLu cross country head coach
Kristen Goossens. "We're very young, but it's so great to see the support from other programs."
The boys team will feature a skilled group of returners, led by senior
Cameron Krueger, as well as junior
Josh Hight and sophomores
Ash Ozzimo and
Lucas Schroeder. They will be joined by junior transfer
Arno Snedker Pfaff and a number of talented freshmen runners.
"I'm excited to see our boys run," says Goossens. "I think it could be a great building team."
Goossens also has a bit of a different look with her coaching staff this year with new assistant coaches Myles Andrews and Amber Keller, along with Lancer alums Sofia Gibson '22 and Nicole Meyer '21, both of whom were part of
OLu's 2019 CIF championship team.
OLu heads to Huntington Beach Central Park for Trinity League meets on September 27 (prelims) and November 1 (finals). In addition to league,
the Lancers will be competing in some of the top-tier races in the area, including the Woodbridge Invitational (September 20), the Clovis Invitational in Fresno (October 11) and the Orange County Championships (October 18).
The runners are not only committed to their training, but they are prioritizing camaraderie, team building and personal growth.
"I want them to measure their success off of where they're at, and I do really think it's a mindset," says Goossens. "It takes a mindset to focus on us, focus on our individual and team goals, and really believing in that. We're going to create our own narrative of what we want to get."
