Signaling the beginning and end of each cross country season, is lower mileage. Over the summer, running is recommended but not required, which leads the coaches to slowly start integrating more miles for those who have not run in several months. This is also to make sure that athletes do not peak too early in their season, their best races should be towards the middle or end so that they can give their best performances for important races such as GAC’s, districts, or state. Essentially, what coaches expect to see the most of as their season progresses, is growth within an athlete. Whether it be in their mindset, their performance, or even as a person. Junior Ryan Halterman portrayed this growth, being the first boy since 2013 to qualify for state. Halterman explained his performance over the entirety of the 2025 cross-country season.
“I feel like I got better over [the course of] the season, and I got into better shape as the season went on,” Halterman said. “Even though I had to take a week or two off because I hurt my back, I was able to get back into shape quickly.”
The girls’ FHC cross country team, as well as Ryan Halterman, then continued onto state on Nov. 7. None of the athletes won medals for their performances in the swift race; however, they all put in as much effort as they could (subjective?) to end the season even as it dragged on to last for two more weeks.
