The Taft Cardinals were a minor league baseball franchise based in Taft, Texas . In 1938, the Cardinals played as members of the Class D level Texas Valley League in their only season of minor league play, qualifying for the playoffs.
53-559: Taft hosted home minor league games at the Taft High School Field. The Taft Cardinals began minor league play in the 1938 Texas Valley League . After a nine-season hiatus, the 1938 Texas Valley League reformed as a six–team Class D level league, with the Brownsville Charros , Corpus Christi Spudders , Harlingen Hubs , McAllen Packers and Refugio Oilers joining Taft as the league members. In their opening game, Taft
106-425: A national championship was first held on 7 December 1867. It was held on Wimbledon Common in south-west London. It was not particularly well organised, many runners went off course, and it was declared void and had to be rerun, but it was a start and the championship has been held over the distance of 10 miles (16,093 metres) since 1877. In 1869, Thames Hare and Hounds , the world's first cross country running club,
159-481: A rubber sole and five or more metal spikes screwed into the forefoot part of the sole. Spike length depends on race conditions, with a muddy course appropriate for spikes as long as 25 millimetres (0.98 in). If a course has a harder surface, spikes as short as 6 millimetres (0.24 in) may be most effective. While spikes are suitable for grassy, muddy, or other slippery conditions, runners may choose to wear racing flats , rubber-soled racing shoes without spikes, if
212-449: A steady pace from start to finish. Coaches and cross country runners debate the relative merits of fast starts to get clear of the field, versus steady pacing to maximize physiological efficiency. Some teams emphasize running in a group in order to provide encouragement to others on the team, while others hold that every individual should run his or her own race. In addition, whether one runs ahead of "the pack" or behind it and pull ahead in
265-407: A team across to France for a cross country match and in the process invented international cross country running as a sport. The International Cross Country Union was formed in 1903, and the four home nations of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales started a match in that year which became a true international event in 1907 when France sent a team to compete. Other European countries sent teams during
318-574: A thousand pounds, I could run as fast as thou canst," and Samuel Pepys in his diary for 10 August 1660 describes going to Hyde Park to see, "a fine foot-race three times round the Park between an Irishman and Crow, that was once my Lord Claypoole's footman." In his diary for the year 1720, whilst he was an undergraduate at Oxford university , Sir Erasmus Phillips (1699–1743) later the MP for Haverfordwest, describes how he rode out to Woodstock Park one afternoon where he
371-610: A widespread but false perception that it was injurious to their health and reproductive ability. Women were also excluded because they did not receive formal education, and the sport started largely at schools, from which women were excluded—women first went to university in England in 1868. There were races for women, but they were few and far between. At the Longtown Sports in Cumbria in June 1851
424-546: Is a natural-terrain version of long-distance track and road running . Although open-air running competitions are prehistoric, the rules and traditions of cross country racing emerged in Britain. The English championship became the first national competition in 1876, and the International Cross Country Championships was held for the first time in 1903. Since 1973, the foremost elite competition has been
477-796: Is another extreme cross country race held in Himalayan mountain slopes. Primary schools, although more often the juniors, also participate in cross country events and some areas of England have done so since the late 1960s. An example would be schools near Ouston, County Durham which compete as part of Chester-le-Street & District Primary Cross Country Association. USA Track & Field (USATF) hosts four annual national cross country championships. The USA Cross Country Championships , first held in 1890, include six races: masters women (8 km), masters men (8 km), junior women (6 km), junior men (8 km), open women (8 km) and open men (12 km). In addition to crowning national champions,
530-426: Is both an individual and a team sport ; runners are judged on individual times and teams by a points-scoring method. Both men and women of all ages compete in cross country, which usually takes place during autumn and winter , and can include weather conditions of rain, sleet, snow or hail, and a wide range of temperatures. Cross country running is one of the disciplines under the umbrella sport of athletics and
583-530: Is definite evidence was organised by Hampstead Harriers at their club headquarters, the Green Man pub in East Finchley, also on Boxing Day, Wednesday 26 December 1906. The race had five teams of three men who each ran around two miles over a snow-covered out and back course. The first man to finish was G. Banbrook of team three in a time of 41:42 1/5. Women were largely excluded from the sport for many years due to
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#1732891807635636-585: Is organized at the state level by the athletics association for each state. In Queensland , it is organized by Queensland Athletics. In the Masters category, which includes runners over 30, this is organized by Australian Masters Athletics. There is also the Australian Masters Nationals Championships. The cross country season in Brisbane is usually March–September. During the season, there
689-539: Is said to have summoned men to race up Craig Choinnich overlooking Braemar with the aim of finding the fastest runner in Scotland to be his royal messenger, and a 1540 manuscript in the British Museum describes a run across Roodee, also known as Chester Racecourse , for a prize of "six glayves of silver." William Shakespeare , writing in the early 17th century, has Sir John Falstaff tell Prince Henry, "I would give
742-461: Is usually one race each week in a different park, generally organized and hosted by one of the participating clubs. Cross country running is a far-reaching sport in Canada . In middle school, races are more serious and are divided by grade and gender. In high school, the races are far-reaching and tend to be the main talent pool, especially at the senior level, for university or national-level runners. At
795-760: The National Collegiate Athletic Association . Men usually race 10 km (6.2 mi) or 8 km (5.0 mi), and women usually race 6 km (3.7 mi) or 5 km (3.1 mi). Above the youth or middle school level, every state offers cross country as a high school sport for boys and girls. Over 440,000 high school students compete in cross country each year, making it the sixth-most popular sport for girls, and seventh most popular for boys. High school students typically race on 3 mi (4.8 km) or 5 km (3.1 mi) courses. The Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California hosts
848-713: The United States into eight qualifying regions with their own respective regional events, listed below. [REDACTED] Wisconsin After these eight regionals, the Nike Cross Nationals itself will take place on December 7, 2024 at the Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon . The Foot Locker Cross Country Championships , sponsored by HOKA , are managed similarly, with four regionals instead of eight, detailed in
901-592: The World Athletics Cross Country Championships . The highest level circuit of professional cross country competition is the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold level, administered by World Athletics since 2021. While a course may include natural or artificial obstacles, cross country courses support continuous running, and do not require climbing over high barriers, through deep ditches, or fighting through
954-641: The modern pentathlon , and until 2016 it was the only discipline where the Olympic competition was only part of the modern pentathlon. There have been recent efforts to bring cross country running back to the Olympic Games. In 2020, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe pushed to bring the sport to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris , but the IOC rejected this proposal. Once the 2024 Summer Olympics arrived, Coe pushed for
1007-454: The 1880s. In 1837, Rugby School started a longer run of approximately twelve miles known as the Crick Run because it goes out to the village of Crick and returns to the school. This has become an annual tradition and continues to this day. By the early 1850s, athletic clubs had started holding their own paper chases as a form of training, the sport was seen at Oxford University by that time and
1060-482: The 1920s and Tunisia sent a team in 1958. The idea for a cross country relay originated in Paris in 1903, when the members of Stadte Francaise invited South London Harriers to Paris for a relay race of approximately fourteen miles to be held on Boxing Day, 26 December 1903. It is not known whether South London Harriers took up the invitation or whether the race actually took place. The first cross country relay for which there
1113-576: The 1938 Taft Cardinals franchise is not referenced as being an official affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals , the Taft roster was filled almost exclusively with St. Louis Cardinals' affiliate players and the franchise used the corresponding moniker. On March 23, 1938, the St. Louis Cardinals were fined for having multiple minor league team affiliates in certain leagues and 74 Cardinal minor league players were declared free agents in
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#17328918076351166-920: The 2006-2007 school year, which entails receiving a first division rating in marching , concert performance , and sight reading . Most years it attends three Battle of the Bands -style pre-UIL competitions. Band members are also encouraged to participate in try-outs for All-Region, All-State, and All-State Jazz bands created by the Association of Texas Small School Bands . Every third year the band travels to Florida to perform in Walt Disney World 's Magic Music Days . The band includes an active winter guard , under director Meisha Hinojosa, that has placed in state competition in recent years, with many of its members also placing in State Solo and Ensemble competitions. In 2007-2008,
1219-787: The Taft Ultimate Impact Winterguard won state in the Novice Red Division. In 2008-2009, the Winterguard won state in Scholastic A. Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically 3–12 kilometres (1.9–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass and earth , pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills , flat ground and sometimes gravel road and minor obstacles. It
1272-535: The Taft roster. Nearly all other 1938 Taft Cardinal players who continued to play minor league baseball in 1939, continued their careers with 1939 St. Louis Cardinals' affiliate teams. Manager John Morrow went on to manage the Johnson City Cardinals , who were a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate. The Taft Cardinals were noted to have played minor league home games at the Taft High School Field. In 1938,
1325-724: The Texas High School Powerlifting Association. The varsity basketball team has been state ranked twice. Taft participates in the majority of UIL events. The two year district champion (2005, 2006) Computer Science team also competes in hands-on Texas Computer Educator Association competition. In 2007, Taft High School participated for the first time in the BEST Robotics competition. The school holds an annual talent show and participates in one act play competition. The "Band with Pride", Taft High School Band had received 21 consecutive UIL sweepstakes until
1378-631: The ballpark had a capacity of 1,200 and dimensions of (Left, Center, Right): 315–390–315. Today, Taft High School is located at 502 Rincon Road in Taft, Texas. Taft High School (Texas) Taft High School is a public high school in the city of Taft, Texas , United States. It is classified as a 3A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). It is a part of the Taft Independent School District located in east central San Patricio County . In 2013,
1431-536: The championships serve as the trials race to select the Team USA squad for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The USATF Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships, first held in 2002, incl men's race and a women's race. The USATF National Club Cross Country Championships , first held in 1998, feature the top clubs from across the United States , who vie for honors and bragging rights as
1484-647: The chart below. The 2023 Foot Locker Championships took place on December 9 at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA . Charlotte, NC Boston, MA Physical leanness is desirable to achieve competitive success in cross country running. This emphasis on body weight has led to a culture of eating disorders within the sport. Scholars have cited a high incidence of eating disorders among cross country (long-distance) runners. They have noted that while eating disorders can occur in all runners, they are far more prevalent among female athletes. Other factors, such as social pressures and
1537-399: The chasing pack of dogs. Thus the terminology of hunting with dogs became associated with cross country running, with the leaders being called the hares, and the chasing pack the hounds. The hares carried a sack of paper scraps that they dropped to simulate their scent and provide a trail for the hounds to follow, and this sport was called paper chasing , or Hare and Hounds. Becoming popular at
1590-449: The course includes significant portions of paved surfaces or dirt road. In 1819, boys at Shrewsbury School asked their headmaster, Dr Butler, if they could form a fox-hunting club, and he refused. The boys therefore formed an alternative club where instead of riding horses and chasing hounds they ran across country, with a small number of boys starting first to simulate the prey, and the rest following after an interval as though they were
1643-592: The end is important, but can vary according to the runner's individual skill, endurance, and the length of the race. Runners should also account for food intake prior to the race. Most important, however, is the training beforehand. Cross country running involves very little specialized equipment. Most races are run in shorts and vests or singlets, usually in club or school colours. In particularly cold conditions, long-sleeved shirts and tights can be worn to retain warmth without losing mobility. The most common footwear are cross country spikes , lightweight racing shoes with
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1696-614: The final regular season standings. In the 1938 playoffs, the Cardinals lost in first round, as the Harlingen Hubs swept Taft in three games. Future major league players made an impact for Taft, as Jack Creel led Taft with a 15–7 record and Fats Dantonio hit .324 in 349 at bats for the 1938 Cardinals. Following the 1938 season, the Texas Valley League permanently folded. Taft, Texas has not hosted another minor league team. While
1749-919: The finish line to facilitate the recording of finishing positions. Courses for international competitions consist of a loop between 1,750 and 2,000 meters. Athletes complete three to six loops, depending on the race. Senior men and women compete on a 10-kilometre course, junior men compete on an 8-kilometre course, and junior women compete on a 6-kilometre course. In the United States, college men typically compete on 8 km (5.0 mi) or 10 km (6.2 mi) courses, while college women race for 5 km (3.1 mi) or 6 km (3.7 mi). High school students typically race on 3 mi (4.8 km) or 5 km (3.1 mi) courses. Because of differences between courses in running surface, frequency and tightness of turns, and amount of up and downhill, cross country strategy does not necessarily simplify to running
1802-456: The finish. José Andía and Edvin Wide were reported dead, and medics spent hours trying to find all the competitors who had blacked out along the course. Although the reports of deaths were unfounded, spectators were shocked by the attrition rate and Olympic officials decided to ban cross country running from future games. Since 1928, cross country has been contested only as the fifth discipline of
1855-405: The flag. Courses also commonly include distance markings, usually at each kilometer or each mile. The course should have 400 to 1,200 m (440 to 1,310 yd) of level terrain before the first turn, to reduce contact and congestion at the start. However, many courses at smaller competitions have their first turn after a much shorter distance. The course should also have a corral or chute after
1908-498: The largest cross country invitational in the United States, with over 22,000 runners from community colleges, high schools and elementary schools competing. The meet started in 1948 and continues today. There are two major national championships on the high school level; the Nike Cross Nationals , and the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships . Beginning with Nike Cross Nationals, this competition splits
1961-773: The men's race for the first time, and a decade later an African nation ( Kenya ) won the women's race for the first time. Ethiopia or Kenya has captured every men's title since 1981 and every women's title since 2001 . Through 2010, Kenya has won 40 World Cross Country Championships and Ethiopia has won 23. Beyond championships, IAAF world cross country meetings include the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country , Cross Internacional de Itálica , Antrim International Cross Country , Cinque Mulini , Nairobi Cross, Chiba International Cross Country , Fukuoka International Cross Country meet, Eurocross and Almond Blossom Cross Country . Cross country running
2014-413: The nation's top cross country team. The USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, first held in 2001, has raced for boys and girls in five two-year age divisions. Most American universities and colleges field men's and women's cross country teams as part of their athletic program. Over 900 men's cross country teams and over 1000 women's cross country teams compete in the three divisions of
2067-413: The overall stress of the college environment also contribute to the prevalence of eating disorders among female college cross country runners. Following professional runner Mary Cain's 2019 account of how the competitive pressures of long distance running contributed to her eating disorder, many other prominent female cross country athletes have tried to bring attention to the issue of eating disorders in
2120-750: The prize for the women's race was three times that for the men's, and the first three women all got the same prize, whereas the second-placed man only got half the winner's prize. Women's sports clubs and formal competitions for women's teams did not arrive until the 1920s. France was the first country to hold national championships for women, in 1918, the first English championships for women were held at Hoo Park, Luton, in February 1927, and women were allowed to participate informally in international cross country only from 1931. There were not even officially any rules for women's cross country until 1962 and their races were not considered championships until 1967. Cross country
2173-601: The ruling by baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis . The Cardinals and minor league teams involved were also fined for not notifying Landis of existing "working agreements". Taft player Jack Creel was future St Louis Cardinals player and was channeled in 1939 with Fats Dantonio from Taft to the St. Louis Cardinals' affiliate New Iberia Cardinals . Taft Cardinals player Charles Flash played for St. Louis Cardinals' affiliates in both 1937 and 1939 and numerous other Taft teammates had played for 1937 Cardinals' affiliates before joining
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2226-477: The school by 1831 it had become part of the curriculum, with several courses of different lengths. The original course of a little more than three miles was over some land owned by a farmer called Tuck, and is to this day known simply as Tucks. These boys did not invent the idea of running across country, which had been known for centuries. Schools started the process of turning an adventurous and athletic pastime into an organised sport. The Scottish King Malcolm III
2279-865: The school was rated " Met Standard " by the Texas Education Agency . Taft participates in numerous activities mostly as part of University Interscholastic League in District 30 2A, after being realigned from District 30 3A following the 2003-2004 school year. Taft is the second largest school in District 30, behind George West High School . It has a branch of the National Honor Society and an active student council . Through UIL, Taft participates in American football, cross country , volleyball , basketball , baseball , softball , track and field , and golf . Taft also participates in powerlifting through
2332-677: The sport to instead be included in the Winter Olympics , with efforts to make the sport appear in the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics in the French Alps and Salt Lake City respectively. Beginning in 1973 , the IAAF began hosting the renamed World Cross Country Championships each year. In 1975 , the New Zealand men and United States women won, marking the first championships by non-European countries. In 1981 an African nation ( Ethiopia ) won
2385-545: The underbrush, as do military-style assault courses . A course at least 5 metres (5.5 yd) full allows competitors to pass others during the race. Clear markings keep competitors from making wrong turns, and spectators from interfering with the competition. Markings may include tape or ribbon on both sides of the course, chalk or paint on the ground, or cones. Some classes use colored flags to indicate directions: red flags for left turns, yellow flags for right turns, and blue flags to continue straight or stay within ten feet of
2438-498: The university level, the sport is administered by Canadian Interuniversity Sport . National Championship is held every year by Athletics Federation of India . Nagaland hosted 56th National cross country Championship. It was held along with South Asian Cross country championship which was held by South Asian Athletics Federation. Last edition edition was held in Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima . Himalayan Adventure Challenge
2491-484: Was contested as a team and individual event at the 1912 , 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics. Sweden took gold in 1912, and Finland , led by Paavo Nurmi , captured the gold in 1920 and 1924. During the 1924 race in the Paris heat wave, only 15 of the 38 competitors reached the finish. Eight of those were taken away on stretchers. One athlete began to run in tight circles after reaching the stadium and later knocked himself unconscious, while another fainted 50 meters from
2544-498: Was defeated by the Brownsville Charros by the score of 8–5. After beginning league play on April 14, 1938, the Cardinals finished the season in third place, qualifying for the Texas Valley League playoffs, in their only season of play. Taft finished the 1938 regular season with a record of 68–67, playing under managers Leroy "Cowboy" Jones and John Morrow. Taft finished 23.5 games behind the first place Corpus Christi Spudders in
2597-426: Was described in an 1857 novel, Tom Brown's School Days , by Thomas Hughes , who had gone to Rugby but was by then an influential politician. At Eton College , the chasing pack were known as Beagles, but in many other places they are called Harriers (a breed of dog used largely for hunting hares). At Harrow School they ran across farmland at Pinner, but Winchester school did not start cross country until sometime in
2650-849: Was formed in 1879, the Northern Cross-Country Association in 1882, and the Southern Counties Cross-Country Association was established in 1883. Then also in 1883 the National Cross-Country Union was formed, with Walter Rye, the founder of Thames Hare and Hounds, as first President. In 1933 this was changed to the English Cross-Country Union because by then the other constituent countries of the United Kingdom had their own cross country associations. The Scottish Cross Country Union
2703-557: Was formed in 1886 and held their first national championship at Lanark in March of that year, and the United States followed suit in 1887. Over time the sacks of paper scraps gradually got discarded and courses came to be marked with flags, lines on the grass, bunting, and marshalls, with races held on farm land, through forests, and over various forms of mixed terrain with championships frequently being held on golf courses and horse racing courses. In 1898, Harold Hardwick of Salford Harriers took
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#17328918076352756-493: Was formed in the same area of south west London, and the same year William C. Vosburgh of New York introduced the sport to the United States. Harvard University held races from 1880, and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge held their first cross country contest at Oxford in December 1880. Three area associations were formed to administer the sport in their region of England. The Midland Counties Amateur Cross-Country Association
2809-410: Was one of, "a most prodigious concourse of people," who saw a four-mile foot race between the duke of Wharton's footman and Mr Diston's footman." In July 1826 Bell's Life reported that, "Yesterday se'nnight a match of running, between the gentlemen of Milton and the gentlemen of Chart, was won by the latter." By 1834, Hare and Hounds was known at Rugby school , and their route, the "Barby Hill Run",
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