Racing for Conifer, the Cross Country team ran the state meet on Saturday, November 1, bringing a strong finish to the season.
“Well, we had to beat the ninth ranked team in the state to get there. Something in the top 10 would be great. I think that would be a fitting end to the season,” coach Brian Stotts said.
Senior Kyler Boymel, who broke the 5k school record at the Liberty Bell Invitational last season, shared his thoughts about the meet.
“I think it went pretty well. Overall, state is one of those [things] that is really difficult to have your best race at. There’s lots of pressure,” Boymel said.
Runners throughout the race had to endure the difficult track, leading them to a strong finish despite not taking away top rankings. Before the race, however, some runners were unable to participate due to sickness or injuries, though the team pushed through in spite of both runners and weather.
“Half our team was, like, sick,” sophomore Bella Carter said. “The weather was really good, but the course was a lot harder this time and the stream crossing was a lot worse.”
Team members said that they felt improvement this year compared to last season’s.
“I feel like the team was better, working [together] and not fighting,” Carter said. “And especially at regionals, all the girls tried super hard. The team dynamic was a lot better this year.”
The meet may have been tiring, but the team’s desire to win left them restless.
“It was definitely a hard meet and I think it was mentally challenging because we were pretty late in the season and everybody’s tired and kind of wants to be done,” senior Evelyn Bly said. “But it was also exciting to be there. It was a really [great] environment and exciting to watch our teammates.”
