Cross country is more than just logging the miles –it’s about the friendships that are built over hours of running together. With competitions ranging from middle school to high school, college, and professional, there are many ways that your experiences can grow. A typical high school season can last from early August into late November, depending on how far the team makes it.
The cross country team at Conestoga Valley High School meets every day after school during the season. They start by stretching, catching up on what is happening, and how everyone’s day has been. The coach then normally informs the team what they will be doing during that practice. These practices can range from easy runs, 4-5 miles, workouts, 3-4 miles at a faster pace, and longer runs that can go from 6-10 miles. The practice then usually ends with some stretching, chatting, and hanging out with friends until the rides get there.
Cross country isn’t just physical; it also has a lot of strategy. Here, the coach, Mark Amway, breaks down the course, giving his runners his opinion on every hill, turn, and stretch of the course. He tells them when they should push and where he wants them to be, helping them in every way he can, wanting them to succeed just like he did in high school.
Before the race, the whole team stretches together. Sharing funny moments makes it easier to forget the daunting race ahead of them. It also relieves some of the nerves that come along before a race starts. A senior at Conestoga Valley, Elise Maurer, says, “It is really easy to talk to the girls on the other teams. Everyone is always hyping each other up, even though we are racing against each other.”
In the moments before a race, everyone joins together to encourage each other and bring everyone together. For this young Warwick team, the captain gets in the center of the circle before the race and yells, “Give me a W,” and everyone else shouts “W!” and then they proceed to spell out Warwick. The captain yells, “What does that spell?” and the entire team screams, “Victory,” while they all jump up and down.
Daniel Testa, Ethan Schnapf, and Davison Erb, all juniors at Conestoga Valley, have been friends for a very long time, but cross country has strengthened their relationship with each other. When asked the question, describing the cross country team friendships, Ethan says, ”One thing I really appreciate about cross country is how close the team is. I really appreciate my connection with these men of God that they will hopefully be lifelong friends.”
Ethan Schnapf, a junior at Conestoga Valley, leads the pack, driven by those behind him and pushing along the fellow runners with each person he passes, fueling his motivation. “They make me a better version of myself,” Ethan says, “and it’s always nice when I make the guys laugh, even when tensions are high.”
As the runner closes in on the final stretch, it isn’t about who is the fastest runner anymore; it is about who has the most motivation. With the crowd’s every cheer, it pushes the runner faster and faster in the last moments of the race, when they give it everything they have left.
