The hot, sticky air clung to my face as my feet trampled the leaves underneath me. My breath came out in shallows and my eyes scanned the rocky terrain. “Welcome to cross country,” I whispered to myself, contemplating if I could make it to the finish without throwing up.

Even as an experienced runner, nothing could’ve prepared me for the exhilaration and fatigue that comes with cross country. Nothing. Never before had a small gust of wind or a painted directional sign triggered such joy in my soul. In the end, just knowing my team was waiting for me at the finish line (along with a huge bottle of water) is what really meant the most. Last time I checked, there’s no I in team—and we intend to keep it that way.

That being said, Montrose’s cross country team had their first meet this week! The Cross Country team had a scrimmage against Ursuline Academy on Tuesday, September 12th. Through lots of hard work and effort, four of the six varsity runners finished in the top 10. Even though two got lost, it was an overall great race for the varsity team! The middle school runners did a great job as well, demonstrating great perseverance and endurance.

Later in the week, on Saturday, the runners donned their new uniforms with pride as they raced at the Tabor Academy Invitational Meet. The girls placed well, as they ran against Division 1 schools. Kasey Corra ‘22, recovering from an injury, placed 9th overall. Emily Bowman ‘19 and Tess Farr ‘22 followed shortly behind, placing in 11th and 14th. The whole team worked together to earn a score of 97 points, which tied Montrose and Tabor in third place. Many of the other girls tried their best, resulting in many personal bests.

The team is still working on improving throughout each of their races. Three girls on the team are injured and currently cannot run in meets. Taking into account their absence on Tuesday and Saturday, the team performed exceptionally well.

Congratulations to the Montrose Cross Country Team, and be sure to wish them luck on their meet on Saturday!