WGHS Cross Country Team Chases Groundwork at East Jackson High School

On Saturday, August 29th, at East Jackson High School, the WGHS Varsity Cross Country team showcased an outstanding performance.  
by Lilly Ottens, Amelia Nandkishwar, and Arianna Riveron

On Saturday, August 29th, at East Jackson High School, the WGHS Varsity Cross Country team showcased an outstanding performance.
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The WGHS girls' cross country (“XC”) team made a score of 6th place overall. The boys' XC team made an overall score of 12th place. By the time the team arrived at East Jackson, the temperature had been 72 degrees, but by the time they ran, it had risen to 78 degrees; the air was hot and humid, with a muggy feeling making it hard to breathe. However, the team still pushed through. The first race was varsity boys, who ran at 8:55. Justin Sharp (JR) shared the hardest part about the course: “I’d say like all the ups and downs, and you can see the whole course.” Graham Dillard (FR) also shared, “The hardest part was probably the uphill and after the trees because it was on the last stretch, so you don’t have a lot of energy left, and it's in the sun, so it's very hot.” Although the hills are super difficult, Libby Rowe (JR) had a different judgment about the course. Libby informs, “Although the terrain was good for running (rolling grassy hills in a field), the entire course was visible and open.”

Junior Libby Rowe, who placed 9th, shared, “I start my preparation for meets a few days before; I start to prioritize eating carbs and drinking tons of water. Another way I physically prepare is by stretching or doing yoga before I go to bed to ensure my muscles don’t feel tight going into my race. A big factor in race prep, for me personally, is to make sure I am right mentally. I can get into a headspace that is ready to compete and do my best.” Libby has been running XC since her sophomore year and is one of WGHS XC’s best runners; her preparation plays a vital role in her performance. She’s very big on encouraging and hyping up her teammates; even when things get hard, she always has a positive attitude. “XC has impacted my life greatly. My closest friends are teammates I've made running. Also, it gives me endurance—not just in terms of running, but endurance to persist in uncomfortable or sometimes painful situations.”

Senior Justin Sharp shares, “The night before, I eat pasta, and the day of, I drink lots of water, and I don’t do a hard workout the day before; I do a lot of stretching.” He explains that eating carbs and drinking water are a key part of his preparation. Justin has been on the XC team since his freshman year. During his time on the team, he has had the pleasure of creating new memories and meeting new people. He states, “I met a lot of new people, and I've stayed in shape. It's a very nice experience that is built up on my mentality. It's a very mental sport.” Throughout the course on Saturday, Justin shared his thoughts on the course he was going to run and what the hardest part was. Justin explained, "As I said earlier, it’s a mental thing, and being able to see the whole thing had a very negative effect on my mentality.” Seeing how open the course was affected his perspective on whether or not he could do it. However, Justin didn’t doubt himself and pushed through. He said, “My goal time was sub-22, and my PR is 20:53.” He beat his goal time by 1 minute and 47 seconds.

Freshman Graham Dillard explains, “...I typically eat right the day before with a salad and carbs, and then the day of I take it easy, and about an hour before I start stretching and stuff.” Graham mentions that he eats nutrients and carbs to build short-term energy. This is his first year on varsity, and he feels strongly about it. During his time on varsity, he has met new people and has improved his physique. Graham states, “It's helped with getting to know people and getting more fit with soccer and stuff.” Being on the varsity team as a freshman is a big accomplishment. It shows his talent for cross country. While running, Graham shared his thoughts while running on the course: “...I have to push through because I'm running with another dude so I gotta stick with him, and then at the last mile I just decided to run faster.” Although given the difficult components of the course, Graham has shown perseverance. Graham shares, “My goal time was probably 23:30, and my PR is 23:50.”

WGHS tied their running shoes and got out there on Saturday, August 29th, and ran their hearts out on what was considered to be a difficult course. This team deserves some major recognition!