This 2024 cross-country season has been filled with exciting competition and difficult challenges. Though facing athlete injuries, runners have shown improvement and are getting faster and stronger with each race. From breaking personal records to winning invitationals, this cross-country season has been one for the books.
The girl’s cross-country team has faced many steep hills this year with multiple teammates injured. The team is striving to improve, and get faster at each race. Sophomore Zoey Bahe is “having a nice season,” says Coach Wilson, and many upperclassmen are challenging themselves to get faster at races.
Some of the boy’s team accomplishments this season included winning the Waterloo Invitational which was a very close and rewarding meet to win. Coach Wilson says, ”To see the surprised and jubilant faces of the kids was very nice”. Senior Roger Melland also won the Rio Invitational by less than a second. Coach Wilson states, “He has put in an enormous amount of work and to have him win that race by less than a second was very rewarding.”
Cross-country can be a very fulfilling and rewarding sport, Freshman Nolan Pertzborn says, “My favorite part of cross country is the feeling right after finishing a race. There’s something incredibly rewarding about knowing you left everything on the course and gave it your all. “
Team sports can be advantageous because you work with your team, build friendships, and have team activities. Senior Ella Johnson says,” My favorite part of this cross-country season so far was a team dinner at Gabby’s house where we all jumped in her pool.”
As this cross-country season concludes, we look forward to seeing new personal records and hope they do well in their upcoming races. And most of all, we hope the cross-country team continues to be team-oriented and enjoy the rewarding, fulfilling sport that is important to them.
