With the prospect of a state championship repeat for the girl’s squad and a potential podium finish for the boys’, the cross country team is sponsoring a charter bus to the state championships in Fresno on November 29 for fans.
Dubbed the XC Fan Wagon, the Sierra Pacific charter bus will depart at 5:00am and deliver student, parent and faculty supporters of the Cougar harriers to Fresno’s Woodward Park just in time to see the start of the varsity boys’ division 3 race.
Up to 45 passengers will pay $20 to ride a bus. Cross country head coach Chuck Woolridge said, “The bus riders will get a special edition cross country team t-shirt and they will enjoy the competition of the division III races at the state championships.”
Woolridge said the team is providing the bus because “we’ve had great support from the fans all season, and we want to give Campolindo students the opportunity to come down and see the runners in the biggest competitive setting of the year.”
Junior cross country runner Miguel Baliwag’s parents and sibling are riding the bus. “They like supporting the team, whether I’m running or not, so they wanted to be at the state meet to cheer on the athletes,” Baliwag said. “They normally drive but I think that this bus is a pretty good way for all the fans to get together and get pumped for the meet.”
The cross country “fan wagon” was inspired by the 2011 football team’s fan bus, which carried spectators to the California Football Championship Bowl, where the football team was playing for the state title. Likewise, Woolridge believes the state meet will be special for the girls’ cross country team. “Our girls team right now is one of the top teams in the United States and it’s not likely that we’ll ever have a team that has the potential to accomplish what these girls are likely to accomplish,” he said.
“The cross country and track programs at Campolindo are very fortunate to have incredible parent support. The parents are solely responsible for hosting and administering the annual Moraga Fourth of July run, which generates the funding necessary to continue our programs and to fund special events and equipment, and other things, like the bus,” said Woolridge.
Sophomore Maria Wong, who is riding the bus to see friends and classmates who are competing, said, “I’m excited just because it’s a chance to talk to everyone. Bond, I guess.”
Fans interested should sign up for the bus in E12 by November 19. According to Woolridge, about 15 seats were still available as of Monday, November 17.
