The cross-country team has had an outstanding start to the season, performing well in every race. They have broken school records, set and achieved goals, and consistently beaten personal records. For the first time in 5 years, they had enough athletes to compete in JV races.

The hard work and dedication of these athletes have been amazing. Their practices were long and grueling, forcing them to push through and become stronger in every aspect. The races themselves were on another level. The athletes pushed themselves every single race, never giving up or backing down, no matter the pain.

“The hardest part is the finishing kick and getting yourself to accelerate and go faster when you are exhausted,” said sophomore Chase McMullen.

But the feeling before every race varies, as some races and courses were harder than others. Senior Laurel Chadwick has a soft spot for the Vernonia Invitational because that was where she got her personal record of 23:03.1. Meanwhile, one of junior Zayden Aspey’s favorite races was the North West Classic because the terrain is really hilly, so he used that to his advantage and passes a lot of people on the hills.

All athletes agreed that preparation for the races was super important. Chadwick prepares for a race by doing some breathing exercises and visualization. But everyone prepared in different ways. McMullen prepared by “sitting on the bus eating food and then warming up and walking the course”, and Aspey said that he “listens to music, walks the course, and hydrates, which is the most important.”

But no matter what, athletes love it for their own reasons. Chadwick said, “I love passing people and getting Kona Ice after races with the team,” and Aspey said that his favorite thing was “the connections you build and the team bonding aspect.”