The Montrose cross-country team remains focused and determined, as well as hopeful for many wins this season. With 26 eager girls supported by confident new coach, Mrs. Hill, the team has a lot in store for them. Coach Hill previously served as the head coach of the sailing team at Culver Academies, IN. She led the varsity team all over the midwest and for nationals in New Orleans. More recently, she coached the girls’ junior varsity rowing team at Baylor School, TN. She reflects, “I really enjoyed coaching rowing and sailing, but I am so excited to be coaching a sport that doesn’t involve packing up a 40 foot long boat trailer every weekend and driving for 3+ hours to a weekend long regatta.”

Mrs. Hill lead the cross-country team to the Cambridge School of Weston on September 16, for their first meet of the season. Out of five all-girls’ schools, Montrose earned second place overall, losing to Concord Academy by only fourteen points. Waring School came in third place, finishing 40 points behind the Montrose. There were two runners who placed first and third at the meet, with times of 20:25 and 21:41. Many other returning and first time runners ran impressive times, and they will only improve throughout the season. Coach Hill, impressed by the girls’ results on Wednesday, added: “I also love that our Varsity team is predominantly underclassmen. We have an exciting future ahead of us.”

Coach Hill has a variety of goals for the 2015 cross-country season. She wants to coach the girls to be better runners through training their minds to endure pain over many miles. She also wants to teach the girls how to place well and develop strategies to surpass competitors.

Coach Hill explained her principal goal: “To establish a culture of excellence on the team. We don’t run just to be fit and cute. We race for one another; we race to give our best selves and our best efforts to our sisters on the course. Amongst a strong XC team, a ferocious tenacity rises up and reverberates among the runners. Through their matched pace and breath, they invigorate each other’s stride and deepen each other’s hearts to stay the course and run the good race.”