Education

It’s a good thing footraces aren’t won or lost based on looks. Judging by looks alone, Kennedy High’s cross-country team wouldn’t stand a chance. They toed the starting line at a recent meet in baggy white T-shirts and mismatched basketball shorts. Their shoes run the gamut from worn-out Air Jordans to low-cut soccer trainers. But they’re allowed to race, because in the end, if you can out-run the next man in flip-flops, you win. The starting gun goes off, and…

The walls on two sides of Richmond High’s gym are plastered in pennants. Some go back to the 1940s. Mostly, they celebrate league champions in football, basketball and baseball. Track, golf, and swimming teams have left their marks on these walls. The 1993 badminton team – second place in the state – even has its own little share of the wall. There’s not one volleyball banner, though. For the most part, Richmond High’s volleyball teams have traditionally struggled. Even at…