The start of a new school year also brings the start of a new season for the Lakeview High School Girls Varsity Cross Country team. The girls started their season out at the infamous Billy Goat Challenge and came in 8th place. 

The Billy Goat Challenge in McDonald, Ohio, is of of the more difficult cross country courses. The meet ends with the treacherous climb up an extremely steep and long hill. Junior Leah Fabry said, “I only ran the Billy Goat Challenge, but I felt alright until I powered up the hill – then I threw up.”

At their third meet of the season, the Lady Bulldogs found themselves in a better position finishing in third place at the Ray Sweeney Invitational in Champion, Ohio. 

 Sophomore Addison Briell was a top finisher in the meet, placing 5th overall. After missing the Billy Goat Challenge, this was just her second meet of the season. She said, “It was a very unique course. Unlike most cross country races, this course was more secluded from the fans and coaches. We started off by running on a long straight away, before turning into a field in the woods. Although most people feed off the energy of their family, friends, and coaches cheering them on, I prefer to run without everyone watching. That way I can get into the zone and hopefully deliver my best performance. This course really helped me accomplish my goal of placing in the top 5.”

Briell went on to say that, “ Aside from the course itself, the race went really well. Lakeview placed third overall as a team and did very well considering we were missing several of our team members. This was our third meet of the season, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store!”

However, the season has not been going well for all the runners. Sophomore Jalyn DeLeon said, “My season has not started off great. Our past two meets have both ended in an ambulance ride”.

DeLeon passed out at the first two meets, and was admitted into the hospital for dehydration and extreme fatigue. She was forced to stop all physical activity and had to cheer the team on at the third meet from the side. Luckily, the unfortunate events are not bringing down her spirit.  “It was a fun experience nonetheless. I think that after I recover I will come back strong and beat my personal records from last year. I can’t wait to spend the rest of the season with our team and make tons of fun memories!!!”

It’s true that when running cross country, times, personal records, and team records are very important, but this team has found what makes this team even better. That is the great friendships they all have and the wonderful memories they are creating. 

Sophomore Arianna Powell said, “So far, I have enjoyed going on runs to the splash pad and having team dinners. Overall, I love the people on the team and how much they motivate me to improve.”

Similarly, sophomore Savannah Rosier revealed,  “So far I have enjoyed the season. It started out a little rough for me but I kept at it because of my teammates and ultimately I feel like I’ve improved. I love hanging out with everyone and they make running enjoyable.”

The Lady Bulldogs still have some challenging meets ahead of them, but if they will continue to build on their training from the summer and motivate each other to reach their personal records, they should finish strong. Good luck girls and stay focused to the finish!