With a promise of a bright future from the freshman, the CHS Cross Country team is having a great season this year. The team members are having fun even with the challenge that comes with the sport. And whether it’s Varsity or Junior Varsity, the team members feel a strong sense of camaraderie and always enjoy the races. 

Cross Country is a sport that should be recognized more. The team members put in a lot of hard work for daily practices, and push through any obstacles in their way. Wyatt Pratt, a member of the Junior Varsity team said that “Generally for a normal day of practice, it’s a warm-up with an 800 meter and anything from running up hills to running the track.” Zoe Glynn from the girl’s team said, “I like to do morning runs around my neighborhood.”

Mike Lunde is the coach for boys’ cross-country, while Margret Dallas is the girls’ cross-country coach. Assistant coaches are Bryan Willis for the boys, and Joy Fulling for the girls. The 2022 season officially began on August 22nd, and the last meet was on November 5th. Practice starts every day starting at 4:00 pm and ends at 5:30 pm. The cross-country team meets mostly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, however, there is the occasional meet that ends up being on a Thursday or Friday. During these meets, they compete against other schools, while also competing against themselves to surpass their own personal records. Thankfully no one has been seriously injured however shin splints still happen occasionally. 

For the most part, it’s everyone’s goal to break their personal record. Which for the most part is to run a 5K, which is just over three miles, in less than 30 minutes. And with a lot of hard work and practice, almost everyone on the team was able to achieve their goals. But it’s not just the hard work and achievements that make this sport important to them. It’s the enjoyment and the memories they make as well. Pratt describes cross-country as “difficult but worth it.” But another great thing about being on the team is making great memories along the way. Luka Dozic of the Varsity team says that “One of my favorite moments was two years ago when everyone had pink bandannas on while a picture was taken of our first step of the race.”

There have been a lot of changes this year but the team continues to break down any obstacles in their way. Kaden Dickinson, a member of the Junior Varsity team says, “This season has been strange with a new coach, and different courses, but aside from all that, our team has done amazing.” After this great season, it makes everyone wonder what kind of things will the CHS cross-country team accomplish next year.