Cross country ran its first preseason meet against Montebello and Pioneer High School at Legg Lake at 3 p.m. on Sept. 1.

Boys placed second to Montebello while girls swept both opponents, placing runners 1-8. The team with the lowest amount of points wins.

Standings of this meet determine the initial varsity teams for the season. The top seven runners from each boys and girls team are placed on varsity.

Joe Gobar, head cross country coach, said he is pushing for more. “Times for our top five will need to improve in order to be competitive in league meets,” Gobar said. “But this is a good start to our season.”

Each race is three miles long with terrain ranging from flat and grassy to sandy and mountainous. Varsity girls and boys run roughly 30 and 40 miles a week, respectively.

Cross country competes next on Sept. 16 in the Woodbridge Invitational at the Silverlakes Sports Park in Norco. Races begin at 5 p.m. and end after 10 p.m.