Pushing and sweating, running and jogging, this year’s cross-country season has begun.
Saturday, Sept. 2 was the cross-country team’s first meet of the school year.
With two high rankings under their belt already, the girls cross-country team is looking forward to continuing succeeding. After placing third overall in their first and second meet, first and fourth year runners both agree that the coming year will be challenging but also rewarding.
Senior Kayla Lofton has also begun an incline on her running. Lofton has improved to the fastest female runner, even going to the height of getting first place overall for girls this past weekend. She has high goals for herself and the team, hoping that they make it to the state championship this season.
“I think we’ll grow as a team, and that’ll make us want to do good for others so we can make it to state,” Lofton said.
Having completed Army Basic Training over the summer, Senior and first year Rayne Bexley states that this year has already helped her improve her mile time down to a seven minute/ per mile. While she believes that competitions are fast paced and anxiety filled, the outcome is worth it.
“Competitions are definitely nerve racking,” Bexley said. “ the next thing you know, we’re getting on the line and we’re just running.”
Freshman Madison Havens has a similar point of view. Havens joined to seek new heights and help herself mentally and physically, which she states has already begun to happen. She has got her time down to 7.04 minutes/ per mile, one of the fastest times for first years.
“I plan on chasing after my greater goals, because the simple ones will be achieved along the way,” Havens said.
Following a couple of injuries and a rocky start, the boys cross-country team is looking forward to improvement. Starting at a low ranking in the first competition of the season, the boys intend to not let it happen again.
Senior Ethan Fisher seeks to hold a stable time and proceed to get better through cross-country, even after an injury during the Sept. 2 competition. His mile time is 4.57 minutes while his 5K is 17.22 minutes, and he intends to keep it this way through consistency in his running and a healthy lifestyle.
“It’s just about being disciplined and doing something that I don’t like to do everyday,” Fisher said.
Like his players Murray Cowart has high expectations for the team this year. Cowart intends for his players to do well enough individually, and as a team, to make it to state championships. As a first year coach, he has good and high hopes for his players and is very excited to be working with them this year. Cowart intends for the team’s improvement, hoping that they work consistently and improve their speed and endurance.
“I think everybody is coming together right on target for where we wanna be so in a few weeks, we’ll see how that goes,” Cowart Said.
Quickly improving based on player opinion, the cross-country team is preparing vastly for this coming year. Their next meet is on Saturday, Sept 23.
