Register here for the 2024 cross country season. Early registration deadline: 8/15.
All JLS students are welcome to register; no prior experience in running is expected. Last year our team had 50 athletes roughly balanced across grades, genders, and experience levels.
Practices will start on 8/19/2024, and the season will continue until approximately the end of October. We plan to have four 75-minute practices after school (M, Tu, Th, F), replaced with meets when we have them.
There will be approximately 6 meets between mid September and late October. Athletes will race 1.5 to 2 miles over varried terrain. The likely schedule is as follows. Unless otherwise noted, meets will be on weekdays after school. Last year 4 meets were scheduled on Thursdays and 2 on Wednesdays.
3 early-season ADAL meets in the Palo Alto
One ADAL meet at the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course
[Tentative] Two final ADAL meets, likely at Gunn High School and the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course
Backup plan:
USATF youth cross country meet in Pleasanton on Sunday 10/20
[Tentative]: Byxbee Parkrun on Saturday 10/26
USATF youth cross country meet in Menlo Park on Sunday 11/3
This will be the first year that PAMSACO has taken over the financing of our team from the city of Palo Alto, and it will be a transitional year. We hope that our team will be able to represent JLS at the final two ADAL meets of the year, but we have not yet been able to secure approval to do so from the league, school district, or city. You can help by registering your child (demonstrating our team's viability) and signing our petition here.Â
Our head coach is Tom Haxton. If you are interested in assistant coaching or know someone who may be interested, please see this page for more info and/or contact us. Although experience in coaching and cross country or track and field is desired, this can also be a great way for parents with no experience to support the program and get a bit of a workout in yourself (running or biking along with the kids).
$200
Costs cover coaching, meet entry fees, insurance, and a dri-fit JLS Cross Country t-shirt that athletes will wear in competitions and can keep at the end of the season.
Refunds will be offered up through 9/6 minus any actual costs including t-shirts and paid coaching.
Why is there also registration for a team on the City of Palo Alto website? The City of Palo Alto unfortunately views our organization as a competitor instead of a partner in promoting middle school athletics and is also soliciting registrations for a separate cross country team. We expect that our team will have the most qualified coaches and a critical mass of JLS athletes. Please read about our history to learn more, sign our petition if you would like to help, and contact us if you have any questions or feedback.