The 2010 girl’s cross-country season has officially begun. According to head coach Kristi Sterling, “The season is going great so far!”
The girls have been pushing themselves to work hard and to stay focused. Their running times are all faster than they were last year so the hard work seems to be paying off.
Before the season begins, the girls attend a summer camp to help keep in shape and to give newcomers a taste of how the school year will be. “The summer camp is definitely a lot different than the actual season,” said sophomore Shannon O’Connell. The camp is more relaxed and the runs aren’t as intense as they are during the season.
Inspirational quotes and team meetings are just some of the ways Sterling gets the girls pumped up every day to run. Typically the team meets in front of the main entrance for a warm up lap and stretches to prepare for their run. Mondays are long runs which are typically 5 to 7 miles, and then Tuesdays are track days which are to find out times so they know what event each girl should run at the meets. Wednesdays are hard runs which are very similar to track days and Thursdays are recovery days which are typically three miles. On some Fridays, the team goes swimming in the pool at around 5:45 in the morning or will have meets after school. Runners must be very dedicated to be able to survive Cross-Country.
The first meet of the season was held on September 1st in Elmwood Park. The girls came in 2nd place which is a great way to start off the season.
“Placing pretty high at sectionals is our ultimate goal,” said Sterling. For the past couple of years the team has failed to reach sectionals but their running times are low and the current team is reach its goals.
