Throughout the season the cross country team has been training hard for the D1 JV states race and the D1 varsity race. The team had practice five days a week after school in order to improve their times. They had different running workouts such as long runs, sprints, tempo runs and fartleks. The team also worked hard outside of practice through healthy eating, stretching, and foam rolling. This year a dietitian came in and the girls team was able to ask her many questions about nutrition for runners. It was very interesting and helpful. The effort that the team put into to reach their goals and try their best really showed at the JV state and Varsity meets. The girls team placed first at the JV state meet with Emma Chisholm, Niamh Russell, Roisin Russell, Amanda Weddleton, Ally O’Neill and Holly Souter each scoring a significant amount of points for the team. Even though the team was very nervous before the race, they left it all on the course. One student explains, “It’s running with your heart when your legs no longer work. It’s knowing that the person running next to you is experiencing the same pain, and realizing that the race is simply who can handle the pain, and who lets it tear them down”. The girls varsity team also did extremely well during the D1 meet. The course was very hilly, but they stuck together as a pack and all ran very fast times. Carly Rinko placed 18th and was able to qualify for the Meet of Champions. The girls cross country team ran their best this season and each and every member should be proud of how far they’ve come.
The team plans several fun events each year that everyone always looks forward to. One of the families hosts a pasta dinner for both the boys and girls team. This dinner allows students to see each other outside of practice and it’s always a lot of fun. The food is also really delicious and I have never heard of someone leaving the dinner still feeling hungry. One of the other events we did this year was breakfast at the airport diner. This was also a lot of fun and I hope that the team will consider doing this again next year.
Many of the members of the girls cross country team think of the team as one big family. I think the team is truly what makes the girls cross country team so different from the other high school sports teams at this school. Everyday at practice I am amazed at how each girl on the team is extremely supportive, dedicated, kind and positive. Brianna Rainey a sophomore on the team said, “It’s a team where the sole purpose is to support one another, and be there when life seems to be just too much. It’s the people who never give up on you to the point where you start to believe in yourself”. Students work hard to inspire one another and push each other to try their best. This team means a lot to all the students involved and has made them set big goals for the future. A junior at BHS Jaime Kask talks about the team and said, “It has lead me to believe you can do anything if you put your mind to it and work hard. A few years ago I would’ve never wanted to run anything more than 100m but now I hope to run a marathon one day”. The girls cross country team worked really hard this season and results of that work showed in both their times and goals for the future.
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