With a new season that started, cross-country has been working hard on creating a successful team compared to last year: a year of memories. With new personal records and placements within the state, the teams this year are on the road to place with or outperform last year. Captains Rylan Jack and Billie Phemister talk about their experience and how they strive to outrun last year, both psychically and mentally, with their current runners.
“Almost everybody on the team, I can’t speak for certain, has gotten a PR this season,” Jack said. “[The team has] done well, we’ve been placing at races, we’ve won at least one meet, and we’re expected to win another one as well.”
Along with the boys team, the girls team has been setting personal records and working hard to get top 10 at state.
“I think that’s at least a goal in the back of my mind, for sure, is trying to push and get those points to get top 10,” Phemister said. “Also last year, we were really close to top 10 in the state and we got 11th as a girls team.”
With rapid improvements in both teams, Phemister and Jack spoke about morale and how they try to help keep the athletes in positive environments.
“I try to get the [boys] team to wear fun socks to races, whenever we can,” Jack said. “Most of the team doesn’t but some do and I think it helps all around.”
Similarly, Phemister uses a Secret Sister gift exchange to boost the girls team morale.
“[We do] various team bonding things, [like] we do secret sister, which is really fun,” Phemister said. “[Secret sister is basically] girls get each other gifts.”
On top of having good morale and improving scores, both the boys and girls teams focus on support and relationships within the community of runners.
“We have several parents of some of the varsity guys also pushing, trying to get us to run, place well, and trying to compete,” Jack said. “Our coaches really push us to do better, and they’re really trying to get us to do good again.”
Likewise, Phemister talks about their form of support from people supporting her personally and others supporting their team.
“Cross-country is such a special sport because parents really are supporting their own kid, but also everybody else’s kid,” Phemister said. “I have parents from other teams supporting me and it’s just so nice, the kind of culture running [has].”
As the season continues, both teams are focused on succeeding and supporting each other. Despite the new transition for each captain, going from a runner to this leadership role, both Phemister and Jack bring an inspirational story for every runner to appreciate.
