The girls’ cross-country team had a great season, beginning with the opportunity for girls to do what they love and what they’re good at, all to get a sense of new friendships and a giant family right at the end. The season ended with an amazing win by all three divisions at districts, sending six varsity girls to regionals and one freshman, Stacy Guerrero, to state.

The process of getting this far in the season took perseverance. The girls went to practice every day from 5:45 to 7:45  a.m. to run their hardest and leave everything out on the course. The practices were vigorous, which led to a lot of team confidence. These practices also improved the aspect of family among the whole team and created new friendships among the smaller divisions of the team.

“I really like our team and I still think everyone on here is great, I love them all,” sophomore Jacqueline Pare said.

Along with the sense of friendship and family, the girls know that they can do hard things. The process of planning that goes into the practice schedule took a lot of time, but in the end, it helped the girls to do their very best at districts and regionals. At first there were a few girls who doubted the coach’s schedule, until they learned how beneficial it was to them.

“I have experience running myself, so I know what it looks like to get in shape running wise,” coach Regan House said. “I learned from other coaches, I read some books, and from there I was able to create my practice schedule.”

Along with the opportunity to run cross country comes the responsibility of schoolwork. The athletes must pass every class to be eligible, and with the workload of classes, some runners found it particularly hard to keep up with their work and grades.

“It was very hard to balance cross country with schoolwork,” Pare said. “I’d always go to sleep while trying to do my schoolwork only to wake up early the next day.”

The homework load was one point of stress on the girls, but by the end of the season, everyone felt confident. The coach expects many of the athletes to return next year.

“I think the team has grown exponentially in terms of being friends and feeling like a family,” House said. “Everything from spending that much time together, laughing a lot together, bickering a lot together. You experience everything with this team, and that’s the best part.”