The Fair Grove High School Cross Country Team has been getting set for the 2023 season. With a few races under their belt, they are preparing to keep up the pace.
The cross country team, led by Jalen Supancic, has been preparing for the new season since June and has been practicing everyday after school to get ready for upcoming meets. Each team member has been logging their practice miles and properly conditioning themselves to keep up with the season ahead. Liam Draper (12) has been running with the team for six years and is the current captain of the team. “We trained all summer doing practices almost every morning, most of the time we would do 3-4 miles. We also would do a couple of optional practices where we would go over 5 miles,” explained Draper.
The team has already finished their first two meets of the season. On September 2, the team made their way to Fellows Lake and competed at the annual Strafford meet. The next week, The Fair Grove Invitational Cross Country Team set up for a meet on their home turf which took place on September 7.
With only around two weeks down in their competitive season, some runners are just getting fired up for what’s to come. Audrey Lemon (10) is no exception. “I am very excited about the cross country season starting because I love the sport and I love getting together with my friends everyday,” Lemon stated. “I think it is super fun to go on runs with them and just hangout with them.”
Lemon isn’t the only runner who enjoys the tightly knit environment that the team has created. Macklen Johnson (10) explained that his, “… favorite thing about cross country is how well the team bonds together. We are involved in a tough sport, but we are still really close as a team.”
After falling short from qualifying for state last year, the cross country team is coming back this season determined to secure a team spot. “The goal that I have for this season is for the boys and girls team to qualify for state,” said Lemon. “I believe both teams have a very high chance of qualifying and we’ve been working very hard to push ourselves to the limit and we are getting better each day!”
The next meet that the cross country team will be attending is at Stockton on September 19.
