The girls cross country placed 3rd consistently throughout the season, earning them 3rd overall in the OK-Red Conference this season. Unfortunately, when it came to regionals, these girls were unable to snatch one of the three team slots for states. Adding to the ache of this devastating lost, this will be the first time in over 15 years the team hasn’t qualified for states.

For seniors Gabby Hentemann and Abby Buitenhuis, they were able to earn an individual spot for states. This team truly had some exceptional talents, both in the seniors department and the up and coming underclassmen.

“We were going into [regionals] kind of expecting that we would get it,” senior Gina Marecek said. “Then we ended up getting 4th. So, it was really heartbreaking for us, plus we broke the legacy of going.”

Even though the season didn’t end the way these girls originally thought, they were extremely proud of this year’s seniors who made the cutoff, knowing that the ladies were not only running for themselves, but for the team. This kind of positive mindset played a major role in these season team’s atmosphere.

“I think a lot of the girls had a more positive mindset,” junior Eden Traub said. “I feel that we always wanted that positive mindset, but this year all the leaders just got closer.”

This seasons team were mostly untouched in the injures categories, however, the muddy weather and a new pace in training created new challenges throughout the entire season. However, the large amount of leaders and newcomers stepping up brings hope for the program and for states next year.

“Without a doubt, these girls will be able to step it up.” senior Brianna Jhamb said. “I definitely trust that with the varsity team we have now, I definitely know that they are going to keep pushing each other and they are going to keep getting better and better together. I do feel comfortable leaving it, especially leadership-wise in that position.”