HOMECOMING: Cross-country’s Clovis conflict

By Annie Cui,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

All Davis High students are encouraged to participate in the events of Homecoming. However, the select cross-country members participating in the Clovis Invitational–an important race held on the same course as the state meet–this Saturday, Oct. 10, will not have the chance.

The top 18 runners from each gender will leaving for the meet in Fresno at noon on Friday and returning Saturday evening, missing the parade, football game and potentially the dance.

Some runners are upset about this conflict; for sophomore Sam Blakewell, the timing was just right to ruin his plan to attend the Homecoming game.

“I was planning to go and it kind of sucks that I can’t because of the meet,” Blakewell said.

Senior Winston Tran is also disappointed, especially because he’s a Student Government member associated with planning the week’s activities. He was looking forward to watching the football team play and “experience the atmosphere of the game.”

“The crowd and the students are just one of a kind and I’m sad that I won’t get to do it my senior year,” Tran said.

Sophomore Hana Du is unable to compete due to personal reasons. Without the meet in her way, she is going to her first game and feels “excited instead [of sad about the meet], and sorry for my teammates.”

However, Du’s sympathy is not needed by junior Michael Vernau.

“Even if I was here for Homecoming it’s unlikely I would be going, so I’m not really disappointed about going to Clovis and doing what I love,” Vernau said.

Sophomore Olivia O’Keeffe agrees and does not mind the conflict.

“I personally think I’ll have a lot more fun at the meet with my team. It’s a really important meet for us so I’ve just been focused on that,” O’Keeffe said.

Coach Bill Gregg is not concerned about the clash and noted that the meet will help the “serious and dedicated athletes” attending prepare for the state championship in November.

This is not the first conflict cross-country has had with Homecoming: in 2012, the Mt. SAC Invitational in Los Angeles was also the same weekend as Homecoming, forcing most of the team to choose between the two.