The school year has just begun, and the Cross Country teams are working harder than ever. The coaches and runners have raised their expectations this season. From day one, they have had their eye on the prize: WPIAL champions. They came close last year, with the boys coming in second place and the girls in third. Only the top three teams can advance to States. Head coach Bob Berg is so confident that he had hotel rooms booked for States since the early spring.

The key to a successful team is the closeness of its members. Through “team bonding”, the boys and girls grow closer over everything from dinners, to tie-dye, and even doing the Ice Bucket Challenge. The winner of a race is determined by the team with the smallest differential, or time difference between the top five runners. A team that genuinely respects each other will be able to more effectively work as a unit and better their score.

We can only hope that all of their hard work will pay off.