The 2025 Mt. SAC Invitational Team Sweepstakes Race By Gavin Hasson
This past Saturday in California, we tapped writer, runner, and filmmaker Gavin Hasson to capture the energy of the Mt. SAC Invitational: one of the biggest high school cross-country meets in the nation. Balancing his love for storytelling and sport, Hasson dives into everything from pre-race nerves to post-race joy, offering an inside look at what it means to be part of a cross-country team and why this event remains a mainstay in the fall running season.
It was a bad start. I got shoved from behind and I felt like I was caught even though I wasn’t.
I fixed it though and got outside so I could follow the plan: Pack up with Desmond Vaughs and Michael Billiris. Us three all packed up for the entire way up switchbacks where Mateo Figueroa decided to join the pack. It was on the cross over where I felt the lactic in my legs and I began to slow down. Me and Michael both started dropping places. By the time we got to the top of the reservoir I pushed off the top of the hill and took the down hill as hard as I could. I need to work on smoothing out my form down the hill but it is a good starting point. I didn’t push enough when I got to the track but that’s something I can work on in training. I finished 15:55 and placed 53rd. As a team we got 2nd in the sweeps race.
We were hyped for that and after that I was living. Smiles the rest of the day. Me and my friend Aidan Westerland filmed the rest of the day for the Heartbreak recap. We saw some great races and had a great time. Overall, it was the best Mt. Sac I have had in my high school career and I can’t wait to come back in a few weeks for CIF SS Prelims.
