Sports

Trailblazing

by Annamarie Lyman

Hearts in their throats, runners place their feet on the starting line. The official shouts out his instructions before backing away. He raises the flag in one hand and the gun in the other, blowing the whistle before pointing both directly to the sky. He drops the flag to his side as he fires the gun, and they’re off! A lap and a half around the baseball field before shooting directly into the woods, the runners scurry up Death Mountain, the steepest slope anyone in the league will run. Once they reach the top, they run halfway down Russell Park Road, veering off onto Connector. This will take them to the upper pavilion in Russell Park. They’ll continue on Horseshoe trail for a mile, running uphill to the AYSO Soccer Field. The outside edges of the field can get pretty slippery when it rains, but the runners power through, rain or shine. Down Russell Park Road yet again, to the lower football field, and a finish at full speed, about 400 feet from the fence.

The course itself is difficult, but what do these runners do to prepare for meets? “We have days that we do 400 meter repeats on the track (usually about 8 of them), hill repeats and repeats on the AYSO Soccer Field, and easier days when we go on 40 minute runs with partners and work out in the fitness center,” said freshman Isabella White. To care for their bodies during the season, runners have to hydrate, eat healthy, and stretch often. These stretches include the scorpion, eagle, and child’s pose.

While cross country does require a lot of hard work and effort, runners and coaches alike do know how to have a good time. “My favorite thing about cross country is having the best team and coach who make practices more fun,” junior Marcella Pronti shared. “I enjoyed all of the hard workouts that challenged me physically, pushing me to my limits while simultaneously making me mentally strong,” said senior Nicholas Shedd. “The team always helped with that - staying in a pack was essential to stay strong.”

Junior Dominick Geloso said, “Sometimes I wish I’d done a different sport, but at the end of the day, the bond that people have in cross country is like no other.”