Welcome to the McLean HS Track and Cross Country Google site. Here you will find information on our programs along with training videos and track standards. Please explore the options in the toolbar for details. Information on the 2025 XC Camp and Tryouts can be found in the box on the left.
On 10/22/2025 Our Boys XC Team will be defending their Liberty District Championship as five of our top seven return.
Junior, Jaidyn Buday, closed her first regular season with a convincing 17:33 at the VA XC Showcase and looks forward to winning her first Liberty District title alongside a powerful six more Highlanders.
For more information on our track and cross country community, parents can also contact our parent liaison Patricia Thomas patriciathomas98@hotmail.com
INDOOR TRACK:
Indoor track begins with Tryouts November 10-13. Join us for another amazing season of completion, team building, and travel. Please see our McLean Indoor Schedule
This document lays out the process for registering for a sport in the Fairfax County Public Schools system.
Both Indoor and Spring Track Team Signup and FCPS sports registration are required. An FCPS Physical form dated after May 1, 2025 is required.
Paperwork: Please note the following:
● Both activities registration and Winter Track signup are required to try out:
Sign up to receive 2026 track and field communication via email distribution
● If you did not participate in a fall sport, you will still need to submit a valid VHSL Pre-participation Physical Exam Form (physical) directly to the school prior to your student’s participation; all other requirements will be completed through this registration process.
First day of tryouts: November 10th @ 3:15 pm on the McLean HS Track.
You must have the following to begin Green Day conditioning and tryouts:
✓ Physical completed (info needs to be filled out on the proper form)
✓ FCP Registration for Winter/Indoor Track
✓ Running shoes in good condition
✓ Track spikes (required after making the team)
✓ Proper technical running gear (be prepared for all weather conditions)
✓ Water bottles at least 32 oz
✓ Watch with stopwatch
Practices: Practice will be held M-F from 3:30-6:00 and on some Saturday mornings at 9 for distance and mid-distance athletes and 1:00 PM for sprinter and throwers, unless there is a meet. Practice will be held regardless of the weather.
Competitions: Each athlete in good standing will be scheduled to compete at most meets unless noted for "select athletes."
throughout the season.
Events of Indoor Track & Field: 50 meter dash, 300 meter dash, 1000 meter run, 1600 meter run, 3200 meter run, 50/55 meter hurdles, 4 x 200 meter relay, 4 x 400 meter relay, 4 x 800 meter relay, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault (we will not be coaching the pole vault at McLean this season*), and shot put.
*See below for tryout time standards*
McLean Track and Field Tryout Information (2025-26)
TRYOUT SYSTEM:
● We will have a three-day tryout
● Due to stricter limitations on meet entries and safety concerns, we will limit the roster to around 30
boys and around 30 girls. We will reserve some spots for the top freshman
● Just because you make a time does not mean that you make the team. It means you will be
considered for the team.
TRYOUTS:
These distances will be performed throughout the week. You will have to make the time in at least one of the events to make the team. Please note that the qualifying standards for freshman is different from that of 10th - 12th graders. (Throwers are not required to make the running standard but must complete a 1600 meter run within 9:30)
9th grade Girls Boys
200: 35.0 28.0
400: 73.0 63.0
800: 2:59 2:30
1600: 6:45 6:00
Throwing girls: 20’0 or top two 9th graders Boys: 24’0 or top two 9th
graders)
10-12th grade Girls Boys
200 33.0 27.0
400: 70.0 61.0
800: 2:42 2:20
1600: 6:45 5:45
Throwing: Girls 22’0 (or top two 10-12th graders ) oys 28’0 (or top two 10-12th graders)
EXPECTATIONS: This is a varsity sport and attendance at practices and meets is MANDATORY. Travel to and from meets with the team is required unless otherwise stated.
Carefully consider your time commitments when deciding whether to try out for track. We have practice every week day regardless of weather. If you commit to the team, don’t take a spot that could go to someone who will commit. An email noting any planned absence is required by 8:00pm the Sunday prior to the absences, failure to do so is unexcused. You will be removed from the roster following 3 unexcused absences.
PREPARATION: You MUST come to the first day of tryouts in shape and ready to run. If you are not participating in a fall sport, here is a good workout schedule to get you started and ready for the first day of practice. Build slowly and stretch before and after the workout. Follow this workout until the beginning of tryouts.
Run 5 days Exercises each day
~ 2 days, run for 20-25 minutes/3 miles easy ~ 3 x 10 push-ups
~ 2 days, run for 15 minutes/2 miles moderate ~ 3 x 100 sit-ups
~1 day, run for 20 minutes (1 min fast, 1 min slow) ~40 air squats
~ 8x50m accelerations after a run ~ 3 x 25 lunges
Spring Track Registration and Signup: Tryouts for McLean Spring Track and Field will take place on February 23 at 3:15 on the McLean Track. Details can be found below.
● Both FCP Registration and Spring Track signup are required to tryout (they are not the same thing):
● You will still need to submit a valid VHSL Pre-participation Exam
Form (physical) directly to the school prior to your student’s
participation; all other requirements will be completed through this
registration process.
The registration site is available here
First day of tryouts: March 4th-6 @ 3:15 pm on the McLean HS Track
You must have the following to begin Green Day conditioning and tryouts:
✓ Physical completed (info needs to be filled out on the proper form)
✓ Rschool Registration for Winter/Indoor Track
✓ Completed on-line concussion test (you and a parent)
✓ Running shoes in good condition
✓ Track spikes (required after making the team)
✓ Proper technical running gear (be prepared for all weather conditions)
✓ Water bottles
✓ Watch with stopwatch
Practices: Practice will be held M-F from 3:15-6:00 and on some Saturday mornings (9 or 10 AM), unless there is a meet. Practice will be held regardless of weather.
Competitions: Each athlete in good standing will be scheduled to compete several times throughout the season.
Events of Outdoor Track & Field: 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 800 meter run, 1600 meter run, 3200 meter run, 100/110 meter hurdles, 4 x 100 meter relay, 4 x 400 meter relay, 4 x 800 meter relay, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault (we will not be coaching the pole vault at McLean this season*), and shot put.
*See below for tryout time standards*
Winter and Spring Track
Winter and Spring Track PREPARATION: You MUST come to the first day of tryouts in shape and ready to run. If you are not participating in a fall sport, here is a good workout schedule to get you started and ready for the first day of practice. Build slowly and stretch before and after the workout. Follow this workout until the beginning of tryouts.
Run 5 days Exercises each day
~ 2 days, run for 20-25 minutes/3 miles easy ~ 3 x 10 push-ups
~ 2 days, run for 15 minutes/2 miles moderate ~ 3 x 100 sit-ups
~1 day, run for 20 minutes (1 min fast, 1 min slow) ~40 air squats
~ 8x50m accelerations after a run ~ 3 x 25 lunges
McLean Track and Field Tryout Information
TRYOUT SYSTEM:
● We will have a three day tryout
● Due to stricter limitations on meet entries and safety concerns we will limit the roster to around 30
boys and around 30 girls. We will reserve some spots for the top freshman
● Just because you make a time does not mean that you make the team. It means you will be
considered for the team.
TRYOUTS:
These distances will be performed throughout the week. You will have to make the time in at least one of the events to make the team. Please note that the qualifying standards for freshman is different from that of 10th - 12th graders. (Throwers are not required to make the running standard but must complete a 1600 meter run within 9:30)
9th grade Girls Boys
200: 35.0 28.0
400: 73.0 63.0
800: 2:59 2:30
1600: 6:45 6:00
Throwing girls: 20’0 or top two 9th graders Boys: 24’0 or top two 9th
graders)
10-12th grade Girls Boys
200 33.0 27.0
400: 70.0 61.0
800: 2:42 2:20
1600: 6:45 5:45
Throwing: Girls 22’0 (or top two 10-12th graders ) oys 28’0 (or top two 10-12th graders)
Watch Starting at 7:00 until 44:00. A great primer on performance nutrition for student-athletes and parents.
An example of Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein's dynamic flexibility warm up. We will publish our step by step warm up after we film and edit. Note the execution of techniques and Dathan's explanation.
Another example from Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein's kitbag. Again, we will publish the McLean Highlander Standard Sprint/Form Drills here after we film. Same principle goes- watch the execution and note Dathan's explanation.
More on the dynamic warmup: Explained