Cross Country Team Starts Strong

Kaylee Coleman, Staff Writer

Cross country season is in full swing, and the team has already shown improvement and determination through the first few meets this year. After preparing over the summer, the runners are working hard to improve their times and have a strong turnout at this year's district meet.

The team prepared during the summer with early morning runs Monday through Thursday before summer workouts started. The consistent training helped the runners improve their speeds before the season even started.

Coach Acree has been especially impressed with the growth of seniors Rylie Krueger and Claire Person. “Rylie and Claire have greatly improved since freshman year,” he said, “I’ve seen them grow and mature, which is one of the best experiences being a coach.”

Krueger has already earned medals at multiple meets, running a 14.44 at Kenedy and a 14:01 at Karnes City. She ran a 14:14 at the Islander Splash meet, a whole two minutes faster than her previous year. Person has also shown improvement, running a 15:25 at Stockdale and a 15:14 at the Islander Splash meet, another two minutes faster than last year.

The team’s younger runners are also showing plenty of promise. Freshman Meigh Naranjo has improved her time from 18:03 at Kenedy to a 17:19 at Karnes City. Coach Acree said that Naranjo is improving at every meet. Freshman Karla Gonzalez has also stood out from the team because of her dedication. Gonzalez has attended every practice and continues to work hard and improve. She went from a 19:50 at Kenedy, to an 18:45 at Karnes City.

On the boys’ side, Landric Gowens has been one of the team’s most consistent runners. His times have steadily improved from 26:04 at Kenedy to 25:53 at Karnes City and 25:50 at Stockdale. Coach Acree said Gowens “improves every race and is a dedicated runner.”

The junior high runners have also made an impression this season. Julian Gonzalez is a standout, as Coach Acree says, “He has had no previous running experience but continues to impress others, running a 13:57 at the Kenedy race.”

Keeping the team motivated is one of the most important parts of having a successful season. According to Coach Acree, the seniors always encourage their teammates and make sure others know how well they are doing. Mrs. Patek has also been a huge supporter by attending meets to cheer on runners and bringing donuts to the runners on Thursdays.

The season brings a new challenge as the team returns to the district they competed in six years ago. The team has experienced success in this district before, and the pressure is on to match or even beat that previous success. Coach Acree is looking forward to seeing how the runners perform and what the rest of the season holds for the team.