The Menlo boys and girls varsity cross country teams finished strong at the Division V California State Championships last month, placing second and 11th, respectively. 

After a historic 2024 season, including a state title and Nike Cross Nationals appearance, the boys team faced pressure to replace three valuable seniors. 

“It was a pretty difficult task to rebuild,” senior Amay Srinivasan said. “The expectations weren’t set as high, but we still held ourselves to the same standards as last year with ambitious goals.” 

The girls demonstrated similar grit in the postseason. “Coach Sally [Hauser] did an incredible job really nurturing the team,” head coach John Dagata said.

Senior Ariya Kaushek was proud the team stepped up when it mattered most. “I believe what made our experience unique was that we were all competing for each other, fully aware it was the last race for all the seniors, and it was an opportunity to give it our all,” Kaushek said.

With both squads battling injuries and illnesses all fall, Dagata praised the athletes’ proactive approach. “We couldn’t have had more adversities that came our way,” Dagata said. “But I felt like we handled [them] well.”