Attention scholars: If you like running long distances, cross country is now available at John Hopkins.
While similar to track, there are some differences. Cross country is not run on a track. It is run in grass, fields, and woods. For middle school, it is a 3K race, which is just under 2 miles. Most meets will be held on Saturday mornings in different county parks.
The sport is popular at JHop. As many as 15 scholars came to a recent tryout. The number of athletes was whittled down to five boys and six girls.
Pre-algebra teacher Scott Davis coaches the teams. He has coached various sports for 30 years, including cross country at the high school level. He also taught and coached in Beijing, China, for six years. “I believe in being active and participating in sports, whether competitively or for fun. It is an important part of a healthy lifestyle,” said Mr. Davis.
He said the goal is to record higher and higher speeds at each meet. The teams compete against other public middle schools and some private ones. Boys and girls usually compete separately, but sometimes they run together. Mr. Davis said meets average about 100 runners each for boys and girls races.
Mr. Davis said he is “excited to be a part of John Hopkins history” and hopes the teams can be successful in its first season.
