"Newbury Park High transformed from anonymous runners to national champions in five years, breaking records and redefining teenage running expectations. The team's success stemmed from an extreme belief system that convinced runners they could always run faster than anyone thought possible. By 2021, the squad needed privacy tents at meets to escape selfie-seeking fans and focus before potentially shattering more national records."
"On the night before the national championship our team had been building toward for five years, there was only one thing left to do. Buy a tent. It was December 3, 2021. The boys of California's Newbury Park High School cross country squad, the top-ranked high school cross country team in the United States, were eating a carb-loading dinner at an Airbnb in Huntsville, Alabama. The next morning, at a park in the city, was the RunningLane Cross Country Championships."
Newbury Park High's boys cross country team rose from relative anonymity to national dominance over five years by cultivating an extreme belief system that pushed athletes to exceed perceived limits. By 2021 the squad had become the top-ranked high school cross country team in the United States and required privacy tents at meets to escape selfie-seeking fans and maintain focus. On December 3, 2021, the team prepared for the RunningLane Cross Country Championships in Huntsville, Alabama, buying a tent and carb-loading at an Airbnb. The RunningLane meet served as the de facto national championship after a traditional Oregon meet was canceled because of COVID-19. Top performers included Colin Sahlman, Aaron Sahlman, and twins Lex and Leo Young.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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