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Jonah Pearson, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn
Photo Credits: Jonah Pearson
Sports provide community, structure, and companionship to many Watauga students outside of the classroom setting. Watauga offers 23 sports throughout the school year, 8 of which are in the fall. Many students start a sport their freshman year and some continue that sport through all four years of high school. Sports provide opportunities to develop relationships within the team, with other athletes, and coaching staff that are sometimes difficult to develop solely during the school day.
"I’ve met so many of my friends through cross country and got to meet different people who I normally wouldn’t have," said senior Lainey Johnston. Johnston has run cross country all four years of high school.
To honor this commitment and dedication many teams hold a senior night to honor their athletes and recognize their last year as a Pioneer. This year Watauga Cross Country honored these seniors with a final opportunity to race on their home course on Boone's Greenway Trail.
From left to right, senior Carrie Bradbury, senior Susanna Goff, junior Noelle Boleman, and senior Maggie Visser pose for the camera before a pre-conference meet on Watauga's home course. Watauga's cross country season spans from late June to early November.
While fall sports pick up steam with competitions and events at the start of the school year, behind the scenes, the work for cross country starts midway through summer with optional pre-season workouts. When conference rolls around for cross country, typically mid to late October, the weather is cool and dry - the perfect conditions for running. Watauga's cool climate and hilly region provides runners with ideal training conditions and the opportunity to build strength and muscle each time they run up the areas trademark hills.
Seniors Ada and Ursa Tzotschew stand with their dad before lining up for senior night pictures. On senior night, athletes stand with family members and are walked to the starting line for photos. "This season has been quite a lot of fun," said Ada Tzotschew. "Some moments that have really stuck with me have been just the reactions I get from teammates when giving them encouragement cards or the change in speed and form I sometimes see when I cheer folks on when they're mid-race."
Seniors Susanna Goff (left) and Carrie Bradbury (right) line up to walk out with their parents on senior night. For parents this can be a somber, reflective moment on their child's high school journey and the end of a chapter.
Cross country provides many leadership positions for upperclassmen within the team. Many seniors have been on the team since their freshman year,and have taken roles as captains and leaders. Captains serve a crucial role within the team to organize and direct activities like stretching, warmups, and communicate between coaches and athletes.
Captains Lainey Johnston and Susanna Goff hand out encouragement cards before a pre-conference meet on Watauga's home course. These cards are a tradition and help soothe nervousness for younger runners before the race.
Senior and captain Susanna Goff stands in a circle pre-meet with the women's cross country team. Before races, captains provide valuable insight and encouragment to the underclassmen.
At pre-conference meets, teams from other schools that are in Watauga's conference meet up and compete before the actual conference races. Many coaches choose to have their athletes run workouts to stimulate race-level efforts without similar amounts of pressure and expectations. Races like these provide times for teams to compare speed, endurance, and overall capability on a course.
Sophomore Eva Hannon crests a hill with junior Reese Loggins. An uphill acsent is always rewarded with the chance to gain speed and catch opponents.
A pack of 5 Watauga runners cruise alone, almost 1 mile into the 3.1 mile race. Pack running is encouraged by coaches as it allows athletes to relax and calm their mind while following the pace of others.
Merritt Powell sprints with her eyes up, looking at the finish line. The finish is the most exhilarating part of the race where athletes give their last push to finish a strong effort.
The most difficult part of the race is not the start and the finish where adrenaline runs high but during the second mile where athletes can get into a rhythm, lose focus, and begin slowing down. Remaining focused and controlled during a race is a difficult thing to do, but runners practice handling fatigue and concentrating on a singular goal.
"For me, cross country has helped the most with goal setting and getting through tough or uncomfortable situations," said Ada Tzotschew. "Just by applying the feeling of being in a race and trying not to stop and give up, and reminding myself to stay strong through this temporary feeling."
Sophomore Josie Mayo leads a pack of four Watauga runners. Headed into the second mile, runners begin to get tired.
Junior Noelle Boleman runs alongside senior Carrie Bradbury. Running in pairs takes pressure off individuals and allows focus to be directed at the race.
Senior Ada Tzotschew runs alongside junior Lucy Nash Watauga's home course consists of multiple steep assents that require focus and high amounts of effort.
Senior Maggie Visser sprints solo towards the finish. The course is unique in that the final downhill feeds straight into the finish line.
Senior Carrie Bradbury sprints down the final stretch. Bradbury has been running since 5th grade.
Senior Lainey Johnston leads a cool down after the race. Cooling down is essential to provide muscles time to relax and recover after a hard effort.
"The thing I’ll miss most about cross country is getting to see the girls after school everyday and the easy runs where we all joke the whole time," said Johnston. "My favorite thing with the team is team dinners and just encouraging each other during workouts."
A main focus of sports in high school is to form relationships outside of school and grow personally. Connections that student-athletes form with coaches are extremely important and can help them grow through their high school journey. The community that is developed through sports can also be a large part of students' support systems.
"Cross country has primarily served as a way for me to stay active, but I have really appreciated the community aspect that is deeply ingrained in the sport," said senior Ursa Tzotschew. Tzotschew has competed in cross country and outdoor track since her sophomore year.
For seniors, a night to reflect on memories made with friends and fellow student-athletes is much needed. A final race on Boone's Greenway Trail where some have put in hundreds of miles over multiple years provides a pleasant and memorable cap to a final season at Watauga.
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