Cross Country is a sport where you compete with many other runners at the start line. It can range from a hundred to five hundred athletes. Getting first seems nearly impossible. Everyone trains for the very moment the gun goes off. First place is for the absolute best and those who dedicate daily hours to become the greatest they can be.
A team that is dedicated to perfecting what they do is Santiago’s Cross Country team—led by Coach Etheridge or Coach E. The whole team has had impressive feats. Our girl’s team won CIF last year, so the stakes were high on September 21st. At the 43rd Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic held at the Great Park in Irvine. Rylee Blade, a senior at Santiago High School, stepped into the race and broke the national record for high school girls three miles with a groundbreaking time of 15:20.3. Woodbridge is one of the biggest meets in the United States. It’s a two-day event with 15,000 plus athletes running. 484 High Schools from 17 different states all meet up to run the high-speed course.
According to athletic.net, her long record of running started with her first official track race in 4th grade. Now, she’s a Nike Elite Athlete and announced she is committing to the Florida State University Cross Country team to run Division One for the NCAA.
Last year at the 42nd annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, Rylee placed 4th. Ahead of her were notable runners like Jane Hedengren and Sadie Engelhardt. She knew she would have to step up in the 43rd Annual Woodbridge meet, for they would be there again. Here are some insights into her mindset, how she strives to be better, and what her running life is like:
How did you train to get to where you are now specifically for your accomplishment at the Woodbridge meet?
“I tried to just have fun with it and just try not to put too much pressure on each workout and I try to have fun with my team and train to where I believe I should be at.”
What were you expecting to place at the meet? How far did you exceed your expectations?
“I wasn’t really putting too much on placing; I was just kind of shooting for a time goal and getting out there to compete. So, I kind of exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t really expecting to win, but I knew I had a shot at it. However, I definitely surprised myself.
Do you find yourself under extreme pressure when you’re about to start your race?
“I feel like I used to deal with more pressure in the past. This year being my senior year I try to take the pressure off a bit more and just try to have fun in the races. But there is a little pressure knowing who is in the race and just getting out there competing against them.”
Did you expect to place a national record?
“Definitely not; when you think about the paces it has to be at, it’s kind of crazy to think about. So I wasn’t really expecting to hit it but I knew training-wise I was in fitness to be close to it.”
How did it feel when you placed the national record at the Woodbridge meet?
“It was pretty surreal; it was very mind-blowing just because I never would’ve pictured this a year ago. So just being able to see all of it put together is pretty special.”
What are your goals for running past high school?
“I definitely want to try to become an All-American in college and potentially go for a national title. Then post-collegiate, I want to try to make the Olympic trials in 2026 for LA and hopefully the Olympic team in 2032.”
What is your favorite thing about running with your team?
“Probably just the memories that we’ve made, especially over the past year we’ve grown to become sisters. Just being out there and being with them is really fun.”
Rylee’s season hasn’t finished yet. Big meets like Asics Clovis Invitational 5k in Woodward Park and CIF Prelims/CIF Finals are still ahead. We hope for the best for these meets and her upcoming track season in Spring. Go Sharks!
