So far Cross Country is off to a great start! The girls got 1st place in their first invite. The boys came in 5th place. Everyone has been trying their very best. I interviewed Cooper Hinkle and he said, “Every 7th Grader has beaten their PR (personal record) by 30 seconds.” Also cross country is so active and fun to do.  

The cross country coaches are Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Bishop. I talked to Mrs. Hoffman to see why she became the coach. According to Mrs. Hoffman, the reason she decided to become a cross country coach because 14 years ago, due to a medical order, she started running. She has run 5ks, the St. Jude ran, and then a half marathon! She started to really love running. That made her want to be a cross country assistant coach. She talked to Mr. Nichols and he was on board with the idea of Mrs. Hoffman becoming assistant coach, and Mrs. Bishop became head coach. 

Mrs. Hoffman said “We love to watch the growth of the individuals, team, and that the runners do things they never thought they could do.  She loves hearing “ ‘I PR’ed’, ‘I finally ran the whole thing’, ‘I love this sport because of the community’, or ‘I hate running but I love cross country.’ ” 

I asked her about any funny stories he had from CC, and she shared some pretty gross things. She said they always talk about emptying out your body before you run (like your bladder) especially before morning runs. She also said, “Puking when you’re pushing yourself while you are running is okay… if you puke it is an automatic Gatorade!”

In conclusion there were some funny/interesting stories told and some lessons that have been learned. Overall a lot of people love cross country, and we’re excited to see where the rest of the season goes!