The Lady Eagle cross country team has become more determined than ever in making a promise to be there for each other and do what it takes to be successful. It’s a ‘One for All and All for One’ attitude that just might lead to some good things!
They first reflected back on last Tuesday’s event. Senior Lea Friedl will be trying for her fourth straight trip to Fort Dodge. “It is my last year, so my goal was to win at the home meet as a senior,” said the Dick Bell champion. “It was exciting. Fans were cheering for me as I came to the finish.”
Junior Alejandra Lopez enjoyed her moment on the home course. “It was harder than I expected,” she said in referring to the challenging run. “I tried to stay relaxed. I made fans proud of my effort.”
Sophomore Madi Axtell felt her day went good. “I had never ran at home before, so I was nervous,” she said. “Since I had practiced on the course, that made me feel better about my chances. I was able to run down and pass a few ahead of me.”
When asked for their goals, each one has a focus on what is important to them for their running career. “Make first team at the conference meet, and then at regionals place in the top ten to qualify again for state,” said Friedl.
“I just want to be faster than my previous race,” said Lopez.
“I want to be closer to my teammates,” said Axtell.
“My goal would be to have all three make all-conference,” added coach Mike Herrington. “I want to see them walk off the home course as top 30 finishers.”
The answer from Madi on being closer to her teammates is already literally true, as this group of girls is closer to each other because of not only a small in numbers team but also that they genuinely care about each other and are willing to help each other be better and faster. They know, from the practice routine that coach Herrington uses, that they can pull each other along to achieve the goals they each have. And when that happens, all three of them can celebrate and feel good about themselves as being the perfect teammate for the others.
“They’ve helped me a lot,” said Friedl about her teammates at practices. “Everyday that they improve, I have to try harder to catch them.” “It feels good to be able to help each other get better,” added Lopez. “I always look back to see if they’re coming, and I always try to keep up my pace,” said Axtell.
“We shortened up the intervals (time between runners) for our five-mile,” added Herrington. “I did that because they’re all three getting better and faster.”
The girls also would like to leave some food for thought to other student-athletes that might want to consider this sport in the future, as they would like nothing better than to see the program grow with more participation.
“This sport has helped my mental strength, that is to never quit,” said Friedl. “I have such a bond with these two, and we want to be all together at the finish.”
“It’s helped me be mentally tougher also,” said Lopez. “It’s helped me with all the stress. It’s a release to run. I step to the line and I can forget about everything and just run my race. It’s a fun sport. Yes it’s hard, but can be rewarding at the end of a race.”
“Mentally, it’s made me believe in myself and challenge myself everyday,” said Axtell. “When I come to the finish, I know that I pushed through and accomplished something. I can see a physical change too.” They all agree that everyone on the team is supportive of each other, and that other girls who maybe think they are not good runners can still benefit from trying it. In this sport, anyone is welcomed no matter your skill level. If you want to try it, they will find a place for you. That is the beauty of cross country, as there are simply no ‘bench warmers’!
“This team is a true reflection of what cross country should be,” said coach Herrington. “They’re a band of sisters that come together and work to make themselves better but individually make their team better. Day in and day out, you see a greater degree of unity and support for each other. Darci is also at every meet, and runs a length of the course while all three of them cheer her on. At South Hamilton, they ran with each other pulling her along.”
Herrington went on to say that, since 2008, he has promoted the idea that the word team ‘doesn’t have an ‘I’ in it’. “Our goal at all levels always has been to make others better through our own individual efforts on a daily basis,” said the coach. “I have three primary goals that we foster, which are commit to improve, accept challenges and most importantly that we should go after things that we know are not simple, easy and natural to do. Whether you’re a middle school or high school runner, It should always be what can I do to make everyone better, then I’ll make myself better too!” The formula has produced conference titles, individual and team state appearances, opportunity to build positive memories and build confidence in our team members over the years!
