Chargers love to run

Laura Jakosky is the veteran of the Agoura cross-country teams this year, as she stars for the Chargers for her fourth varsity season.

"Team-wise, our varsity girls are greatly improved," Jakosky said, assessing this year’s team compared with last year.

"We’re a pretty young team, and we’re improving each meet," Jakosky added.

Helaina Bernstein, a senior, Shannon Duley, a junior, and Emily Yee, a senior, have combined with freshmen Lisa Novik, Katie Hudson, and Kayla Berg to form the nucleus of the team.

"Everyone has been working really hard all season," Jakosky said. "There’s a pretty good atmosphere on the team."

Although she has endured injuries this year, Shannon Duley has provided leadership along with Jakosky.

"I really haven’t run to my full capacity," Duley said. "But I’m trying to stay fit. I enjoy being captain, and being able to help the other girls out."

The boys’ captains, Kevin Cockrell and Chris Ford, both seniors, said that the motivation to run and improve comes from within and from their teammates.

"You definitely feed off each other," Cockrell said. "One day someone will be feeling kind of good out there and everyone will sort of follow his lead."

Winning is not everything.

"We’re more inspired by personal victories and experiences, rather than needing to win a race to feel good about ourselves," Ford said. "We use each other’s energy to get pumped up for races."