The LHS girls’ cross country team was much smaller than in years prior. Most of the varsity team were underclassmen and first-time runners which posed some challenges for the team. But despite that, the team continued to improve over the course of their season. They beat 73 out of 106 teams, and set 37 new personal records, with freshman Harper Allen ranking 34th in the state.

“I have had a very good season, especially just being a freshman, and have already had some big accomplishments. It’s pretty cool and I can’t wait till next season,” said Allen.

Head coach Teresa Tripp, who has been coaching for twenty years, said that the team does not have a lot of experience but they have continued to improve throughout the season.

“We have one returning letterman this season. The rest of the varsity squad is made up of first-time high school runners. They are a very young team. However, they have not let that stop them from being successful,” said Tripp.

The Lady Gales cross-country team continued to build teamwork and gain experience. 

“We hope to continue the path of positivity laid out by this team. We hope to contend for a league title and work together to be successful in the postseason,” said Tripp. 

Assistant coach Dianna Galadyk mentioned some of the positive accomplishments the young team acquired.

“Some of my favorite highlights from the season are when the team crushed the competition when we were not supposed to win by that much. I was really proud of the girls and how many PRs they were all able to accomplish,” Galadyk said.

LHS freshmen Zoe Fullen had a great season this year. She accumulated a personal record six times and took about thirteen minutes off her final time from the beginning of the year. She spoke about how the team continues to lift each other up and support each other.

“I really learned from my senior athletes that to push each other to strive our best as a team. There was never a time I didn’t hear them say good job to their teammates, all the time during our runs they would give compliments,” said Fullen.

This year was senior Audrey McFarland’s first and last season running cross country.

“This senior year has been bittersweet. I have really enjoyed getting to accomplish some new things but it is sad to see this season come to a close, especially since it is my last one,” Mcfarland stated,

“I will miss my teammates and coaches the most. There has been an amazing team environment and I am thankful that I have gotten to meet so many amazing people within the team”

Sophomore Ava Parrett said that she was nervous when the season first started and is now striving to make it past districts next season.

“The beginning of my season didn’t go as well as I wanted because I was still figuring out how to balance my volleyball schedule with my cross schedule and I missed most of my cross practice. In the end, I started being able to practice full time and my times improved by a lot so I am excited to see what I can do next year,” Parrett said.

This was also junior Sara Johnson’s first season running cross country. She said that she has enjoyed running and said that the coaches and teammates care about more than just athletic performance.

“My season this year was my first for cross country and I absolutely loved it. The team made everything so much better and was so fun to be around. Not only have I become a better runner but I have also become a better person,”  Johnson stated.

Senior Riley Spangler was the only returning letterman this year. She has had a successful season and will be running for Tennessee Tech University next fall. She says she will miss the bonds she has created with the team.

“There is something immensely special about runners. There is an unbreakable bond you get when you run together every day. There is always an unspoken respect we all have for one another,” Spangler said.

“The sport we joined is brutal and painful. Considering our ‘easy days’ are running 7-8 miles. Through this pain and amazing mentality, we all have, we all get along in ways most teammates cannot.”