Some Granite Bay Cross Country seniors will be the first to tell you is 10% Physical, and 90% Mental. Many of them have been a part of the team for 4 years, running nearly year round at a top level.
During the Cross Country Section finals, Nov. 16th, many senior runners lined up for the last time in their careers.
“Cross country has allowed me to meet a variety of new people that I wouldn’t have otherwise met, and it introduced me to some of my best friends today. It has meant a lot for me both in terms of athletics but also socially.” Charlie Beater, a senior, said.
During cross country practices, it is normal for different levels of runners to group together and socialize during some of the longer practices. Depending on the level of the runners, sometimes a practice can call for as long as 70 minutes straight running.
“The final year is special to me because it is the last time I get to run on the courses that I have been running on since my freshman year. Everytime I run on some of these courses or trails during practice I get memories of when I was just beginning my high school career and just getting to know some of the people I am such good friends with today” Beater said.
The courses that cross country runners race or practice on can vary significantly. One of the courses is located right next to Folsom High School at the reservoir, and it is extremely hilly. Contrast that with the course located at Johnson Springview Park in Rocklin, where it is very flat. Each course offers something different, but as the team practices repetitively on each course, it can become second nature to them.
Jackie Ullyott, a fellow senior, talked about the upcoming state meet that the varsity girls team qualified for at last weekend’s section finals meet.
“I’m super excited for our last race at states. I hope that our team places well and that I can set a personal record on the difficult course” Ullyott said.
With the varsity girls team qualifying for states, that would make it four consecutive years after not qualifying for the eight years before that. A huge shift came from the power of this year’s senior group being introduced into the program, and being backed up by the load of talent in the junior and sophomore classes.
Grace Baxter, also a team captain and senior, talked about the growth the team experienced in these past four years and what she hopes for the future of the team.
“I’ve learned that if you put in the hard work and the dedication, you’re sure to see the results. Over the past few years, our team has worked really hard to qualify for these bigger competitions like the championship race, Clovis, the state meet, and more. Before my freshman year, the team hadn’t made it to state since 2012. It’s been pretty cool getting to go to these meets and everything,” Baxter said.
Baxter won the section meet, setting one of the fastest times in the program’s history. Losing her will be a big blow to the varsity girl’s team, but Baxter says she has confidence in the team in the following years.
“I’m not really sure what the future holds for our team, but hopefully we’ll have a strong and healthy team moving on into next season and I hope the years to come for cross country will continue to carry the traditions that we have created in the past few years as well as continue qualifying for the state meet and all these big ones, and keep moving forward as a team,” Baxter said.
