Cross country crosses finish line

           Cross country isn’t just a season sport; it is a year-round effort. The team works every week to stay in shape for the upcoming meets. With meets almost every weekend, it takes immense amounts of dedication. The members of the cross country team use one another to better themselves. They push and strive to be better competitors and better runners.

            Sophomore Chase Casto stated, “It’s not really weird competing against one another, because if someone on the team is faster than you, it can give you a goal.”

            The girl’s cross-country team place in the top three in almost all of their meets, and placed sixth at one. The boys team also has done well, placing in the top five as a team at the last home meet with it being much harder competition.

To place for Regionals, the team has to place in the top three. To place individually, the runner has to be placed in the top ten.

            Freshman Laney Harper said, “Overall we run hard, get things done, and love to win!” 

            The team competed in the Adidas Challenge September 15 in North Carolina, and sophomore Tori Starcher placed first with a time of 17:41.1 in the Girls 5k Championship. The team overall placed twenty-seventh.

            Starcher was recently nominated for National Cross-Country Performer of the Week, one of 10 girls from around the country who qualified with their 5K times. She works year-round to stay prepared for this sport. According to her, she tries to run close to 50 miles a week.

            The next cross country meet will be held in Louisville, Kentucky on September 30.  The regional competition will be held on October 9 in Wood County.