Cross Country and Track & Field
GIVE TO MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, OR TRACK & FIELD
Cross Country and Track & Field funding goal for the 2026-27 academic year: $35,000
Team mission: Develop young men and women of excellence, integrity, character and boldness through the venue of Cross Country and Track & Field. Our teams provide unique opportunities for student-athletes to compete as individuals yet work closely within the team context as they seek to push past barriers, which they had thought were unsurmountable. Student-athletes who meet the rigorous challenges of cross country and track and field, gain lifelong skills that enable them to find fulfillment and achieve excellence as parents, employees, business owners, and community members.
Team needs for 2026-2027:
$5,000 for team travel for track and field athletes to participate in one out of state indoor meet. Indoor meets are important overnight trips in the experience and development of track and field athletes. Indoor meets have different events, different strategies and a different track size and type. It is a big part of the track and field collegiate experience.
$5,000 for cross country / track and field record boards. These boards would be installed up at the stadium. We currently do not have a record boards for cross country or track and field.
$5,000 Cross Country camp. This is important as an essential training tool as well as a team bonding experience, it is a hallmark of the cross country experience.
$5,000 team swag includes team warm up gear, team backpack, team long sleeve shirts, special uniforms for regional qualifiers and championships.
Track and Field 2026 highlights:
The Poets rallied for their best SCIAC performance in 3 years. Poet men were entered in 14/21 events; the Poets had 5 athletes make finals or score. Poet women had 2 scoring events as well as numerous top 10 for Whittier performances.
Cross country 2026 highlights:
A team improvement by 11 minutes in overall time, as well as a freshman class that is the best that Whittier has seen in a very long time. Three Poet men will be travelling to the regional race in Washington!
Kathy Graham, Director of Cross Country and Track & Field
Assistant Coaches: Jeff Fisher (sprints, hurdles, relays, recruitment), Paul White (distance), Jim Pendleton (throws), Christina Gonzalez (throws), David Bean (Pole Vault), AJ Vasquez (jumps)
