Hundreds of Pennsylvania’s most talented high school runners line up at the startline. As soon as the gunshot rang, they began the five kilometers of hills and gravel.
On Nov. 1, seven girls from the varsity cross-country team competed at the PIAA Cross Country Championship at the Hershey Parkview course in Hershey. After the girls’ varsity team placed third at the PIAA District 1 Cross Country Championship, they qualified to compete in the state championship as the top five teams from District 1 qualified. At states, the team took fourth place, which is the highest the girls’ team has ever placed.
“It was definitely a really hard course, but I think we did really well,” freshman Quinn Kelly said. “Now that I know the course and I know what to expect, I’m hoping we can go again next year.”
The girls’ team finished the regular season 10-1. After qualifying for states last year, the girls started their regular season undefeated at their first two meets. This year, the varsity girls’ team placed first overall at Central League Championships and second at the Paul Short Invitational.
Cross-country training started back in May, where runners trained two to three times a week at Wilson Farm Park. The official season began in August, with practices consisting of distance, speed and recovery workouts. In the summer, runners focused on mileage and building leg strength through hill workouts. As the season approached, head coach Richard Hawkins started to focus on speed workouts in preparation for meets.
“After (the district championship), I cut down their mileage significantly,” Hawkins said. “We focused on the speed portion of training. Preparing for a hilly course is almost impossible right before a championship race because I want them rested and ready to roll. I just hoped that we had practiced enough on hills.”
The team will face many changes as half the members who competed at states will graduate this year, including senior and four-time state championship qualifier Alexia Tubbs.
“I’m very optimistic for (next year),” Tubbs said. “I think (the team has) a lot of great runners who we’ve already seen who can perform very well. And as far as advice, I would say make sure you’re healthy, make sure you sleep well. Because at the end of the day, running is truly a privilege. Don’t forget about the teammates you meet along the way, because they’re the people that will push you, that will keep you coming back to the sport.”
Ella Peng can be reached at [email protected].
