As the season goes on, wins and losses will always occur. However, the boys cross country has started the season off with a few wins. Wed. Aug. 27 at Quail Ridge and Fri. Aug. 29 at McNair.

Aside from the excitement of getting a medal or the disappointment of losing there is always something there keeping the runners afloat. Sometimes the thing keeping you afloat are words of encouragement.

“Just push yourself, because the more you push yourself today, the better you’ll be tomorrow,” senior and varsity runner Jake Drnec said.

Keeping the motivation may sometimes be a challenge while competing, but that motivation is what could help you reach goals. Drnec would be one to know that motivation will help in the end as he has won two medals so far in his high school career as a cross country runner.

Another athlete who may know how hard it is to keep motivation, especially in times of being on the bottom of the food chain, is freshmen and varsity runner Garrett Allen.

“Being a freshman on the team is always a little daunting,” Allen said. “Us freshmen are always subject to being made fun of by the upperclassmen.” 

However, Allen doesn’t let that fact damage his motivation because of the little piece of advice he received from his coach.

 “Never stop. Never falter. Never walk. Never, ever let a race crush you,” Coach Michelle Breuer said.

Along with motivation challenges, there are physical and mental challenges, which Coach Michelle Breuer can clearly see. 

“The most difficult task for the runners is running. It’s the hardest things for kids to get over. That mixed with heat. Getting used to the heat. Also just getting in shape,” Coach Breuer said. “Once they’re used to that, it seems to settle in better.”

Similar to other sports, cross country makes sure to bond. However, cross country bonds in a different way.

“Cross country is more of a family than a team in my opinion,” Drnec said. “Although it’s an individual sport as well as a team sport, you need to get close with your teammates.”

One thing the team does in order to bond as a family is to have a team dinner or breakfast before every meet. This is one of the biggest ways the team bonds.

“It’s very important for the team to bond because during a run, nothing helps your spirit more than a fellow runner enduring it with you.” Allen said. 

As with every new season, there comes people who are the ones to get ahead of the team a little.

 This seasons new star athletes and ones to keep an eye on are Drnec and Allen, as well as third year and varsity runner Zach McKinley (senior), second year and varsity runner Zack Painter (sophomore), and first year and varsity runner senior Jake Baumgartner.

The team hopes that with these runners and the rest of the team, they will be able to rope in more medals to add to the ones won at the Aug. 27 and Aug. 29 races. The next meet is Sat. Sept. 13 at Forrest Park.