At their most recent meet, Zachary’s cross-country team overcame a difficult course, meeting and exceeding expectations.

The loud, reverberating boom of a gunshot signals a stampede of cross-country runners. They race across a wide field, the fastest runners quickly gaining distance, before sprinting into the woods, where the path becomes treacherous. Aching ankles and burdensome breaths accompany the steep hills and unstable gravel that make up the five-kilometer course. But, despite the exhausting terrain, Zachary’s cross-country team triumphed at their meet on Saturday, October 15. 

Coming in fourth in the Girls’ Varsity race, Rylee Dignan (11) was easily a top runner. She, unlike some of her opponents, ran with an air of gracefulness, holding pace almost the whole way through and barely breaking a sweat. “Sometimes I feel tired during the races, but most of the time I’m relaxed,” she said, “I just feel good when I run!” She accredits her success to the preparation leading up to the meet: hours of practice, a fun team pasta dinner to load up on carbohydrates, and adopting a positive mentality in which she visualized her race.

Another exceptional runner, Joseph Day (9), held pace, despite struggling on the harsh course. “It was definitely a little bit challenging,” said Day, “It was hard to breathe because it’s humid and there were some big hills, but, overall, I felt like I did pretty good.” The first and last mile were extremely gratifying for him: “I felt really good! One of my teammates was helping me pace and I was headed for a good time!” 

All in all, the team’s performance was astounding. It takes strength and endurance to run such a demanding course in so little time. Keep up the good work Broncos!