A lot has happened in cross country this season. From coaching changes to injuries, this year’s XC season has brought many victories, hardships, and changes. Now that we’re halfway through the season, I think it’s a good time to reflect upon what has happened.
Overall, this year’s meets have been great. The most recent meet at Steilacoom is definitely the team favorite so far. Being an invitational meant that there were food trucks, tons of people cheering on the races, and many many pr’s (personal records). Our team won silver boys varsity – which is impressive for such a large meet.
When asked about the meet, Daniel Foster said, “Everything but the hills was amazing.” Unfortunately, Noah Pickard lost his shoe during the race, causing him to have to run almost the entirety of the race with only one shoe.
The first meet of the season was in Longview. Most runners enjoyed how beautiful the scenery of the course was. But the actual course was entirely gravel–which is not ideal for spikes–and very dusty.
We won our first home meet of the season against Black Hills in a landslide victory at Pioneer Park. There were massive pr’s for some newer runners, and athlete Jackson Ruiz got to compete against his brother, Jameson Ruiz, who goes to Black Hills.
One unexpected change during the season was a change of coaching. A lot of people said they felt they were being pushed too hard before, but now, with the new Coach Z, it doesn’t feel like they have to push themselves too much during practice.
Injuries are a big challenge every season, but this season specifically has been very injury prone. Many people believe this is due to runners pushing themselves too hard and not taking stretching and recovery seriously enough. Though, since the coaching change, injuries have been a lot less prevalent. Cross country senior Tyler Aufort is glad to be returning to cross country after two years of recovering from a pelvis stress fracture.
Most people on the team view the ten weeks of summer practice in a positive light. Landon Martin described the ten weeks of summer practice as “extremely useful,” and Noah Pickard is glad he got to know the freshman on the team before the real season started.
One of the most memorable parts of cross country so far was the summer camp. Freshman runner Sawyer Brown says it was a great time for team bonding.
Overall, this cross country season has been great. The team has made so many memories, improved so much, and bonded a lot. Everyone doing cross country is excited to see just how far the team will go this season.
