The cross-country teams have officially started their season, and they have started it strong. On Sept. 6, the teams were at the Greg Wilson Classic where the girls placed third, and the boys placed first. They then made their way to Twilight on Sept. 13, where the girls placed seventh, and the boys placed eighth.

These competitions were only one part of the start of their season. Head Coach Kelsey Carbajo spoke on the team’s dynamic and how they get their season running.

 “We do a lot of training that is in season and outside of season,” Carbajo said. “So, um, for this cross country season we started running in June and have been meeting in the mornings all through the summer, and then during the school year we meet after school once official practice starts.”

They’ve been working hard to get to where they are for the beginning of the season, but just like many other team sports, this means they are with each other a lot. Junior Haley Montgomery, runner on the varsity girls’ team, explains how it’s not just a team, but a family. 

“We’re not really a team, but a family. If you’re not at practice, your teammates are going to be like hey, where are you at? So, it really helps motivate me to be there for my team,” Montgomery said.

For these teams, this year holds even more pressure than the rest. The girls’ team is hoping to go to state so that they can have the chance to win the state title, which would be their sixth year holding it. The boys’ team is hoping to have the chance to go back to state for another year, wanting to achieve the state title. 

Daniel Trubiroha, a sophomore on the boys’ varsity team, spoke on what he’s looking forward to and hoping for in the new season. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing how we do, like if we’re able to, like, make state or even we might have a chance of winning state, we’ll see, and I just hope that we perform how we wanna perform,” Trubiroha said.

As the season continues, the team will continue to work hard at practices, preparing for their next meets. The next meet is on Sept. 26 at Gans Creek XC Course.