Dewy grass and loose gravel fly under a stampede of feet. A squad of students finish up their Monday morning run as sunlight glistens off Lady Bird Lake behind them. After eight hours of lectures and quizzes, most of the members in the cross country team head home. One of the girls hurries to the band hall, picking up her instrument case and water jug before making her way to the band pad for another rehearsal.

Freshman Mary Eizraelov begins a year of actively participating in two time-consuming extracurriculars. She plays the trombone in Concert Band I and runs with the JV cross country team. 

“I really enjoyed doing both activities in middle school, and both the organizations are super amazing,” Eizraelov said. “I wouldn’t be able to choose one over the other. I’m so grateful to the leaders of both programs who help make this happen, both for me and for so many other students.”

Eizraelov decided to join the region band audition process, which is optional for Concert Band 1 and Concert Band 2 students. Students in this process are required to attend masterclasses and prepare three etudes for the first round of auditions in November. Student leaders helped Eizraelov accommodate her split schedule for both activities.

“I was lucky enough to meet Mary during her eighth grade year because she was my buddy for eighth grade night,” senior trombone drill instructor Laurel Brown said. “Like most eighth graders are, I was expecting Mary to be shy and quiet, but I remember being so impressed with her confidence and kindness that night. She reminded me so much of myself, making me that much more excited to have her as an addition to the trombone section.”

During the two weeks of summer band before school began, Eizraelov attended cross country practice from 6–6:45 a.m. and headed to band camp from 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Once school started up, she continued running in the mornings from 6–7:45 a.m. and rehearsed with the marching band for at least two hours after school on most days.

“High school is a time for students to figure out who they are and what they love,” band director Jarrett Lipman said. “Considering the number of amazing organizations on our campus, students should have the opportunity to participate in all that Vandegrift has to offer.”

Lipman’s goal of allowing students to participate in multiple activities in high school is to motivate them to continue playing their instrument in college and beyond.

“It’s been a lot of hours dedicated to both, but it’s been super good,” Eizraelov said. “Sometimes I have to miss a few events, but the band directors and Coach Sully work really well together to make sure that I’m able to go to as much as possible.”

While band and athletics are normally double-blocked, some of these students take single-blocked periods or split after-school practices. Participation in track, cross country and robotics are most common with band, but students are not limited to only those activities.

“Our students have been extremely professional, working through schedules and anticipated conflicts,” Lipman said. “I am very excited about the process so far.”

As a zero-hour student in cross country, Eizraelov is not in the cross country class, but attends as many practices as she can. Students in cross country and band often opt for morning runs to make it back to their first periods in time for school to begin.

“Getting enough sleep, doing my homework on time and staying positive are my main goals,” Eizraelov said. “It’s good to have a positive mindset. I want to do well in everything, balance all of them and still keep my sanity intact.”

Dozens of early mornings prepared Eizraelov for her first race at the Cedar Park Invitational on Sept. 6, hosted by Cedar Park High School. 

“One word I would use to describe Mary is cheerful,” senior cross country captain Tibbie Mustacchia said. “She always comes to practice with a smile on her face, even at 6 a.m., and it’s always fun to hear her talk about how much she’s enjoying high school so far.”

Despite committing to two activities, Eizraelov manages her time by finishing as much work during the school day as possible. She also plans on joining track, FCCLA, Student Council, Green Team and Key Club later this year.

“While facing the huge challenges of the transition from middle school to high school, being a part of the rigorous band schedule, and taking on cross country all at once, Mary impressively continues to maintain a positive and caring attitude towards not only school, but also towards her friends, peers and instructors,” Brown said. “Mary is such a kind, caring girl who’s always looking out for her friends, and I can’t wait to see all the great things she does throughout her high school career.”