The girls cross country team was able to claim yet another State title on Oct. 28. This is the fourth year in a row, making themthe only girls team in the state to do so.
Senior Bree Newport was one of the few runners to be on varsity from the first state championship through the fourth, along with senior Kate Miller.
“Kate started crying and I was hugging and crying [her],” Newport said. “It’s just like it’s really exciting because it’s like our hard work paid off over the four years, but then it’s also really sad that it is over.”
Head cross country coach Kelsey Crabajo shares how her runners motivate each other to do their very best during every practice and meet.
“We’ve created a team culture that is, you know, they trust each other, and they believe in each other, and which, in turn makes them work hard for each other because they don’t want to let each other down,” Carbajo said. “So I think that that’s truly why they’re motivated, is because of our team culture.”
Kate started crying and I was hugging and crying. It’s just like it’s really exciting because it’s like our hard work paid off over the four years, but then it’s also really sad that it is over.
— Bree Newport, senior
The girls will be traveling to South Dakota to attend the Nike Regionals on Nov. 12. If they are one of the top two teams, they move onto Nike Nationals on , which is held in Portland, Oregon.
In the past, the girls team has been able to attend Nike Nationals were the first team in Kansas to ever accomplish it.
“Last year, we were the first Kansas girls team to ever do it,” Carbajo said. “And so this year, we’re hoping to go back again and do the same thing.”
Next season, every runner from the beginning of this four year winning streak will graduate, which leaves the underclassmen to continue it. Pushing for the fifth ring, Newport said that the underclassmen have been putting in that hard work, knowing that they are capable of whatever comes their way.
“I definitely think they will be able to, we have a lot of strong girls on the team that are like coming up and getting better every day and like working hard,” Newport said. “So I definitely think they can do it again to make it a fifth time in a row.”
Carbajo mentioned how she is very proud of all her runners. She mentioned that they are celebrating their victory, but keeping in mind that they are going for number five next season.
