For the first time in two decades, the girls cross country team is heading back to the state meet.This is the second time the Girl’s Cross Country team has qualified. Last time was in 1980.

Coach Beth Phelps said the achievement was a major milestone for the runners and for the school.

“It’s something that I don’t know that two years ago, if you would’ve asked if we had the chance to, that we would’ve said we could,” Phelps said. “Now that we’ve done it, it’s huge because we’ve made up our minds that this is what we want year in and year out.”

Phelps said that going to district at the start of the cross country season was their expectation.

”Our goal was to win the district, which we didn’t. And then qualify for state or
get multiple people out to state. But we knew coming in this season that we had a
chance if we would just run the way we could.”

The main focus heading into the state meet was to place.

”We wanted to finish in the top sixth or seventh, but we ended up finishing ninth.” Phelps said “But, we were also the fourth place team out of the region. So, four teams qualified out of each region, there’s four regions, meaning there were
sixteen region teams qualified. So, in theory, we are the last one out of our region to get out. We knew that we could beat some of the other region’s top teams and that was our goal, to go out there and beat as many of the other twos and threes and beat all the fours out of all the other regions that we could. And we did that, but we really hoped we might go seventh, eighth, or somewhere around there, but we finished ninth. But even at ninth, that means we beat every fourth placed team, every third
place team, and we beat our region’s second place team.

A major adjustment to the Girl’s Cross Country team’s training and strategy was made to improve the runners.

”We added more miles,” Phelps said “We always run a lot as cross country, but they came in with better bases. They ran more this summer than what they had over the past summers. So, we had more miles which meant we were in better
shape, which meant we got to run more miles this year.”

But, with the additional training, it took a toll on the girl’s. Phelps said that the physical and mental demands could be tough.

”It was hard at times. We changed our training a little bit this year to where weran more in the mornings, so we didn’t have to go out as we usually do after school todeal with the heat every single day. We ran more in the mornings so that could help a
bit on the bodies because it was cooler.”

Even with the changed practices, it didn’t stop from the track meetings being brutal for the runners.

”There were days that were harder than others.” Phelps said “We’d go out to a track workout and it would be hot, it would be brutal, and some of us could barely make it. Then there were meets where we didn’t run very well and we came off really upset, went back to work, and just kept going.”

The consistency in the training was a huge factor for getting to
district.

”They were consistent from the time we started running back in June,” Phelps said.  “They were consistent, they were there, they put their miles in, they worked hard, and they did everything that was asked of them. One of the
other things that they did was they cleaned up their nutrition. And that played a big part in what we did and how we did it.”

Not only was the Girl’s Cross Country team consistent, they
had great team chemistry this season.

”They always had each other’s backs.” Phelps said “That group knew that if somebody needed something, there was always going to be someone that was going to be behind them to pick them up. That there was always someone going to come alone with a shoulder to cry on, pat them on the back, and tell them they did a good job and to keep working.”

The great team chemistry and the great environment brought out natural leadership qualities that helped the team overall.

“I think that one of the girl’s ’I can do anything I want to do’ mindset really rubbed off on everybody.” Phelps said. “It originally came from another runner the year before with that same mindset of ‘I can go out there and beat anybody and can do anything I want to go’ and when this girl mind her mind early and was determined, everyone fed off of that too and were like: ‘well, if
she’s out there saying she can do it, then we can do it too’.”

Phelps wants people to understand how vigorous the Girl’s Cross Country team worked to get there.

”We’ve always worked really hard in this program.”  “Kids, alumni that come through, and of course, the runners. The program has always asked a lot out of them. It’s running, it’s hard, it’s summer, and it’s all the hard things. But this year’s group stepped in and we did workouts that were even as hard as we pushed and have pushed in the past. They stepped up and did workouts that I didn’t even think was possible and they got through day after day.”

The key to success for the Girl’s Cross Country team was
their personal records.

”We had several that went into state and ran their best race of the year, their
fastest time of the year, and on one of the hardest courses, Phelps said.  So, we PRed it, and
we peaked right on time.”