The boys and girls cross country teams competed at the state championships on November 4 in Carrollton, where the girls finished as the runner-up and the boys came in fourth.
It was an impressive showing, considering it was the team’s second year in the 6A division, and many runners dealt with injuries.
“It takes time for everyone to get comfortable enough to run as much as they run,” Coach Ryan McClay said. Coach McClay, a longtime coach of the cross country program, allows the runners some flexibility with practice, offering strategic practice plans that include interval training and long runs.
Senior runner Audrey White said the strategy for state was to start at a slower pace and eventually speed it up.
“Once you get started on the last loop, you just have to try to catch up person by person,” White said. “I just had to trust in the coach and his plan.”
Notable runners among the team included senior Zoe Garcia, who placed fourth overall and was selected for the All-Metro Team, and senior Gunnar Dykes, who finished 14th, with senior Liam Morris coming in three seconds after.
To qualify for state, the team had to place within the top four at regionals, where the girls placed second and the boys third. This year’s captains were Morris and senior Dominic Noel on the boys team and seniors Jessica Sheehan and Lane Boyle on the girls team. With track season just around the corner, the runners will take a few weeks off and then get right back to their training soon.
