By Abby Chong and Anvita Mohile, Co-Sports Editor and Staff Reporter
As they ran the five kilometer course over grassy hills and rocky terrain, seven girls from Conestoga finished their final run of the state competition.
On Nov. 2, the girls’ cross-country team competed at the 2024 PIAA State Championships in Hershey, Pennsylvania. At the competition, the team placed fifth overall out of 20 teams, and junior Alexia Tubbs placed ninth overall out of 237 runners. Last year, only Tubbs participated in the individual state tournament from the girls team.
“Last year, we were expecting to go to states, but unfortunately, we didn’t have the best day, so we missed it slightly,” Tubbs said. “It (states) was a really nice redemption feeling, and we placed a lot higher than we expected. It was a really exciting atmosphere, and it was just really fun to experience.”
On a typical day of practice, math teacher and coach Richard Hawkins begins by meeting with the runners to discuss lessons or potential strategies before breaking into smaller groups. In these groups, runners do the workout for the day, either long or short-distance runs, before returning and stretching as a group. Over the years, Hawkins has seen the cross-country team grow in numbers and popularity. Students in all grades have shown interest in competing for the school.
“The team is really big, but everyone knows each other,” senior Rebecca Schmidt said. “Everyone is always super nice, and it’s a really positive environment.”
Schmidt has been a member of the cross-country team for four years. During her time on the team, she has not only seen improvements to her race times but has also built lasting friendships with her teammates. One of Schmidt’s favorite parts of being on the team is the constant positive and supportive atmosphere, which remains strong despite the large number of runners.
“I chose to do cross-country because my sister was on the cross-country team her senior year, and she always talked about how great of an environment it is — always doing things with friends,” Schmidt said. “I wanted to be part of that.”
Hawkins believes that no matter the outcome of a meet, the focus should always be to try and improve. He emphasizes that every runner should strive to get better each day, no matter how well they perform.
“I’m a teacher, coach and I’m a parent as well,” Hawkins said. “The biggest reward I get (is) seeing kids dedicate themselves, work hard and then see the benefit of the hard work that they do”.
Abby Chong can be reached at [email protected].
Anvita Mohile can be reached at [email protected].
