Seniors Jacob Ralston and Cecilia (Cicy) Bowser spoke about the past, present, and future of cross country at AHS in an exclusive interview. 

On team involvement, Jacob is worried that losing the seniors will impact the team negatively. Cross country will lose both himself and fellow senior Maddox Wise next year. If more guys don’t join the team, the possibility of its existence will be uncertain. The girls will also be losing senior Abigail Nemcheck.

Despite low attendance, Cicy is hopeful that several swimmers will begin recruiting for the future cross country team. She said that around six swimmers are currently on the team, and that their enjoyment will likely spread to their peers on the swim team, boosting attendance for cross country.  

Jacob joined cross country because his cousin and grandfather were both involved in the sport and influenced him to join. Similarly, Cicy was impacted by her sister and mom, Mrs. Bowser, who currently coaches the cross country team.

Ralston’s favorite memory from running on the cross country team was the time he ran alone at White Oak after one teammate forgot his uniform and the other forgot about the match entirely. Bowser’s favorite memory is running through the woods during Fall and meeting other teams. 

Cicy is not committed to any colleges yet, but she plans to obtain a degree in special and elementary education. She would consider joining an intramural cross country team, since she does enjoy recreational running. Jacob does not plan on attending college nor does he plan to continue running. 

To conclude, Jacob said that cross country is one of the easiest sports to be a part of. The most important quality of a runner, Jacob explained, is their mental fortitude. Cicy highlighted the sport’s individuality. Focus, she said, should be placed on oneself, not the other competing runners.