We stood near the starting line this morning admiring the pink hues of the sunrise on a day which was the kind of race day we like to see. We had relatively cool temps, next to no wind, and positivity abounding. Running on a fast course does not guarantee fast times, because you still have to put in the effort to earn it. This morning, on a fast course in Caledonia, which featured varied terrain and scenery, our girls ran with determination and with no intention of rolling over for an admittedly strong contingent of Fighting Scots. 

Ava Crews, Jessica Durkee, and Holly Velting, got after it and wedged their way into the Scots top seven, thus making a statement that “we are here” and preventing a sweep. Meanwhile, Lindsey Velting and Kendall Snyder were competitive in the middle of our team bringing needed energy. Additionally, Maddie Nagel on her season racing debut and Emma Thompson brought the heat rounding out the top seven.

I’m proud once again of our girls, as I always am. They never back down from a challenge and they always give their maximum effort on the day.

Of course there were many more performances of note with big jumps in time. It’s always fun to have a fast time, but we will also continue to keep perspective. We understand that cross country courses are not the same, weather is always a factor, we will show up to compete against whoever toes the line with us, and we will give what we’ve got, regardless of what the clock says when we cross the line.

Next we travel to Cedar Springs for our first OK Gold Jamboree where we will get a sense of where we stand in our conference at this time.