Cross Country

With the cross country season coming up, the Huskies have been preparing for success. Head coach Elizabeth Warren has high hopes for this group, explaining how their mentality differs from that of previous teams. 

“They’ve really gotten this awesome mentality that they want to be better, they want to be good, they want to win,” Warren said. 

According to Warren, almost 50% of the team attended summer running every morning at 7 a.m., which is something she can not force them to do. 

“I think they are going to do really great things because they have such a good determination about them,” Warren said. 

Senior captain Abby Allen said that both the girl’s and boy’s sides of cross country have goals to compete in State this season. Even after losing the majority of their varsity runners, the girls are working together to build a new varsity team. Similarly, the boys’ team consists of many new runners. 

“We have a really great group of freshman boys coming in, so we are really excited for them,” Allen said. 

As new people join the team, Warren said her favorite part of coaching continues to be watching the team grow not just as runners, but as people too. She enjoys helping them develop into young adults and teaching them to believe in themselves. One element of the team that assists in their development is camaraderie. 

“I think cross country kids are the most welcoming, the most supportive, the most uplifting group of people,” Warren said. 

Allen shared similar thoughts, that while she first joined cross country to be in better shape for other sports, she fell in love with the sport and the supportive community it provided her.

“Everyone is just so supportive and wants you to succeed,” Allen said.

This uplifting community, mindset and support prepares the BVNW cross country team for the upcoming season as they aim for their goals of qualifying for and placing at state.