GirlsCross Country

Girls Cross Country Retrospective by Isaac Jones

With the Waterford Invitational around the corner, the cross country team is looking to play on its own turf. It’s a sprawling and commonly under- celebrated program that houses some incredible student-athletes. One, Kaylor Offenberger, is a senior you can often find running with her younger brother. An incredible athlete in every regard, she pushes herself hard for this program awaiting the thrill of a win. When asked she describes, “the feeling after the race,” as the best moment. “I love the feeling of accomplishment after a hard run,” she says.

Oftentimes, people don’t think of the cross country as a team sport. They feel that the sport works as many runners in isolation. In reality, when you see the team running together for hours on end, in a mass, or paired off, it becomes apparent that teamwork has a far more central element than one might think. When asked about advice for her younger teammates, she says: “take it slow, you will eventually be top dog. Enjoy every little moment, you will want these memories in ten years.”

I went on my own little journey researching for this article. I could find records and statistics for a couple of the other more prominent sports but cross country was a needle in a haystack. It’s obvious that Waterford loves their basketball and football teams, but other sports such as volleyball, golf, and cross country deserve similar appreciation. In further discussion, Offenberger expressed that “cross country definitely needs more love-- it’s one of the hardest sports anyone will do. You have to be mentally strong. Everyone always says cross country is 10% running and 90% mental, but it takes a lot to run.” Furthermore, running is often used to condition or as punishment but this sport is entirely running. In a sense, it’s all punishment. Obviously, there are incentives. It’s the effort of working and the mental fortitude; persistence paired with the feeling of overcoming a PR (personal record) or even just knowing how much work went in. This incredibly grueling yet rewarding sport is one among many that deserve celebration.