The cross country team closed out its season with big improvements, a trip to state, and some standout races that runners are proud of.
Cooper Runnells said the team pushed hard all year to meet their goals. “I know that our cross country team went to State and Region, and both the guys and girls did pretty well,” he said. “We were able to bring a full team, which is always our goal.”
Even though Runnells couldn’t attend every race, he said the moments he did experience meant a lot. He especially loved getting to race with teammates he has known for years. “I really loved racing with guys I’ve known for like 12 years,” he said. “The last race I knew is probably my final one, so I went crazy on it.” He ran an 18:25, his first sub-19-minute 5K, which he said felt “really good.”
Throughout the year, the team worked on staying consistent and committed to practices. Runnells explained that the team focused on showing up and putting in the work because runners who practice earned the racing spot. “We were able to make sure that if you practice, you race,” he said. “It gave everyone more drive to do better.”
Runnells also opened up about the challenges he faced this season. Balancing other activities made it hard for him to attend practices, which made races tougher. “I just didn’t honestly have that much time to practice,” he said. “Finding the time and making it a priority was really the hardest part.” Still, he said locking into the racing mindset helped him push through the struggles.
His proudest moment came from discovering the mental struggle that cross country teaches. “Cross country is the only sport where you can tell yourself to do better and you’ll actually do better,” he said. “You can literally tell yourself, ‘Okay, run faster,’ and you can physically just run faster.”
The season may be over, but Runnells said the effort, teamwork, and growth the team experienced will stick with him and the whole cross country crew as they look ahead to next year.
