By: Adam Hawthorne, Editor in Chief
The cross country team here at River Hill High School is heading into the most important part of their season. After competing in the county championship this past Saturday at Centennial High School, the team is now focused on getting ready for regionals and the 2A state meet. The boys won the state title last year, and this year they’re hoping to go back to back.
This season, the team has had a lot of success. They have placed top 3 at multiple meets, and the runners have improved a lot, with new PRs all around the team. A lot of this success comes from how hard the team has worked as the season went on, and it definitely shows.
Coach Boothe, who has coached the boys team for many years, said the group has come a long way since the first practice. Not everyone trained a lot over the summer, and that showed at the first invitational, where times weren’t where they were expected to be. But as the season went on, both the boys and girls teams stepped up their training. The teams also ran in some elite races this season to go up against faster competition.
“This strategy exposed the runners to the fastest fields possible and forced them out of their comfort zones. This allowed individuals to run personal records,” said Boothe.
Boothe also had the top runners race less this season so they could get more time to train and be ready for the postseason. He thinks both teams have a very good chance of winning regionals and finishing in the top 2 at states. The girls will be up against a very tough Hereford team but have a good shot at 2nd.
“The boys’ team have a good chance of repeating being 2A State Champions, but it is not a guarantee and will be an exciting race to watch as at least three other teams have a chance of claiming that title,” said Boothe.
The County Championship this past weekend went really well. The boys placed 5th overall, missing 4th place by just 6 points, led by sophomore Colin Campbell in 7th. Senior Lucas Ballou finished 28th and Junior Ananth Shanbhag finished 38th, and all three ran new personal bests. The girls placed 2nd overall, beating multiple teams that were supposed to place higher on paper. They were led by freshman Charlotte Flanigan in 6th. Sophomore Ayla Sanderoff finished 15th and Senior Gabby Crimmins finished 16th, and all three also ran new personal bests.
Senior Lucas Ballou of the boys team reflects on his last county championship with the team.
“It was a solid race overall. I felt strong the whole time and I’m glad that I was able to get a PR in my last county championship. It’s kind of sad it’s my last one but I’m excited for regionals and states coming up.”
With the county championship behind the team, the focus shifts to the MPSSAA 2A West Region Championship on Thursday, November 5th. How many teams make it to states depends on how many full teams race at regionals, and a full cross country team is five to seven runners. In the 2A West Region, there are ten full girls teams, so the top five will make it to states. On the boys side, there are 13 full teams, so the top six will move on. Individual runners can also move on based on where they finish. The 2A state championship will be held on Saturday, November 14th at Hereford High School.
With the postseason coming up, practices have gotten tougher. Senior Marina Ronayne of the girls team explained what the team still needs to work on.
“We train as hard as we can every day at practice, because before we know it the season’s going to be over. Every day matters right now, and honestly this is the most exciting part of the season.”
One thing that stands out about this team is how close they are. The team has a tradition of hosting pasta parties the night before big meets. The pasta is full of carbs, which gives the runners extra energy for the race the next day. On top of that, it’s a chance for everyone to hang out and relax before a big meet. Senior Vuki Simendic said the pasta parties are one of the most fun parts of being on the team. “It’s really fun to have everyone eating together after practice and I think it really helps bring us together. I always look forward to eating the yummy food everyone brings,” said Simendic.
The team has put in a lot of work during their pre and regular season, and the upcoming weeks are where it all pays off. The rest of the school will be rooting for them as they finish their season.