by Ali Valdez | Staff Writer

Cross country has had it’s most successful season yet, with the girls finishing second in district and the boys finishing in third place. One of the runners, junior Natalie Langan is moving onto state this Saturday in Round Rock, Texas.

“I didn’t expect to make it to state at all, my goal was to get my time under twelve minutes,” Langan said.

Going into the new season, the runners were confident and had very high hopes.

“I was excited for this season. I think we got a lot more people on the cross country team this year so we had a better opportunity to win,” Langan said.

Cross country trains for countless hours before school, during school, and even on their own time.

“On Mondays we go to the parks and run. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we stay on the track for speed days. On Wednesdays we swim at the pool. Then Fridays, we have a breakfast because it’s before the meet,” Langan said.

Langan’s teammates have had a significant impact on her success this cross country season.

“We all push each other and that helps us get better during practice,” Langan said.

Most of the cross country team will be taking the drive to Round Rock to cheer on their teammate.

“We’ve had a really great season, and I’m so proud that Natalie has come so far, she’s a great representation of our team as a whole,” junior Hailey Woods said.

For Langan, everything else fades away while she’s running; the finish line is the only thing on her mind.

“During practice I definitely feel tired, but during the race it all happens so fast and I’m usually so caught up in the adrenaline of the race,” Langan said.