As the season gets a running start, the girl’s cross-country team is focused on working hard and limiting class division. 

“Whenever I was an underclassman, it was super divided by class,” senior cross-country co-captain Julia Richard said. “During team dinners, seniors now try to spread and try to sit next to everybody.” 

It’s the tiny things that keep the team bonded, like carpooling or getting ready to run together. cross-country has given freshmen the ability to start their high school experience with friendships among themselves, and with the other grades. 

“You get to know them really well. You see them at your worst, while you’re running and hurting a lot, and when you’re tired in the morning,” Richard said. “You bond anyway just from the sport.” 

COVID-19 has forced the cross country team to adjust to new safety precautions from the Center for Disease Control. 

“We are all wearing our masks when we first come to practice and when we are close together,” senior cross-country co-captain Kaitlyn Bishop said. 

When it comes to feeling under the weather, the squad hopes that their teammates will stay home and protect the whole team. 

“The team is more important than going out with a big crowd so we prioritize remaining careful,” Bishop said.

COVID-19 has not stopped the team from having their scheduled traditions. The team plans to keep the spirit alive while still making it socially distanced and safe. 

“When it’s just the state team, we do a glow run, and we all get glow-in-the-dark items,” Bishop said. “It’s one of my favorite runs.”

The cross-country team hopes to return to state this year and place first. They can achieve this goal, by practicing perseverance and running like a team. The seniors and Coach Trevor Swink push every player to stay with the group and maintain a steady space throughout practice. 

“It’s so much more than a sport to a lot of people,” Bishop said. “It’s a way of meditation to get out of your head.”