With a state title on the girls’ side and a fourth place finish in state on the boys’ last year, the cross country teams were geared up and ready for their first meet at Warner Park on Sept. 3. Both finished in first place and had many runners cross the line at the front of the pack.
Boys co-captain junior Cooper Schroeder finished in fourth place just behind teammates junior Logan Logback and freshman Matthew Pickering.
“I really liked our pack time and how we worked together, and I think it’s going to help us in the future and help us in the big meets because we have each other to work with,” Schroeder said.  

Running in a pack and working together in cross country is a big help: when the runners pack together the ones in the middle and towards the back are able to draft or run without any wind resistance, making it easier to keep up a pace. This technique is what birds use when they migrate — the stronger ones run at the front and absorb the wind and then, if they get tired, they move to the middle and someone else takes their place.
The boys team ran in a pack well but head coach Susan Melgares wanted the girls to pack up better.
“For the girls, we need to pack up a little bit, close our gap, but the girls that were back a little bit, I have complete faith that they can close that,” Melgares said. The girls team performed well with senior Cara Melgares finishing in first place, senior Amber Gloria and junior Joy Gruenbacher coming in fifth and sixth.

The teams had a strong first showing and they will be working hard to improve their teamwork and their individual skills. Although it was their first competition, it will not be their hardest, so the runners have to be ready to face those oncoming challenges together and as a team.