The cross country team has had many wins and many achievements under the guidance of head coach Jim Lebo. Photograph by Richard Harper
Cross Country Teams Run into Success this Season
October 13, 2022
Freshman Jackson Elliott, freshman Charlie Kopp, and freshman Logan Lease are not only new members of the cross country team, but they are some of the reasons why the cross country team is such a competitive force this season alongside other great runners.
The boys team finished 16-3 against all teams in the county this season, only losing to Dallastown, Red Lion and Central York. They also won the division, finishing 5-0.
The girls team finished 8-11 against all teams in the county.
Junior Julia Polaski, a returning runner on the team, admits that to be successful, students have to push themselves each and every day.
“The workouts and practices can be challenging both physically and mentally,” said Polaski. “…If you don’t put the work in and don’t think you can do it, you won’t be able to do it because it’s mainly the mindset of being able to do the runs [and] the workouts that bring you to be a great runner.”
Many of the current runners have inspiring support from friends and family, according to junior Julia Polaski.
“My dad is a runner and has encouraged me to run, and I’ve been running since 7th grade,” Polaski said. “…He has supported me [in the sport] ever since then. We would go on runs together if the weather wasn’t too bad.”
The cross country runners themselves realize that running after school during practices isn’t always enough to improve, so many students practice during their own time.
Junior Ian Rosul runs outside of school on the rail trail and also runs routes with the team that they make for themselves.
“I like to run mostly on the rail trail because it’s a flat area and does not have too much of a slope to it, and another way is out and back runs because they can go for as long as you want and can give more awareness of how much you can handle,” Rosul said. “It can improve your ability to run longer and faster.”
As the cross country team nears the end of their season, it is clear that the environment of the team and the friendships within it are one of the reasons why the students excel, beyond their training.
