After a momentous season, the Girls Cross Country team placed fifth at State last Friday at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, Texas. The state roster consisted of seven runners, seven alternates, and five team captains who have guided and supported the team since May, when they began preparing.
“This is just one of those special groups,” Head Coach Susan Bailey said. “They truly care about each other, and they’ve held each other accountable since May.”
The team endured an infamously difficult training regiments during their preparation, such as early morning tempo runs, which are sustained higher speed runs, and 800 repeats, six hard 800-meter intervals to simulate race conditions.
“We motivate each other,” senior State-runner Presley Payte said. “Even during the hardest workouts, we’ll say short phrases like ‘think about state.’ It keeps us focused on what we’re working for.”
Contributing to their success, the group had unmatched chemistry throughout the season, with bonding activities ranging from dinners after regionals, gift-giving or simple team hangouts.
“When you have a really close group of girls that all have the same goal and they all truly love each other then that really does make a difference,” Bailey said. “If everyone is connected then they’re going to run that much harder for each other.”
The goal of reaching state fueled the team’s drive all season, and for many athletes, this wasn’t just another competition.
“As a senior, knowing that I won’t get an experience like [cross-country] again really helped me stay focused when I was extremely exhausted,” senior alternate Campbell Ragan said. “I knew I wasn’t working alone and I was doing it for the team.”
The team’s seven state runners competed among over 110 of the top runners in Texas. Though the competition was fierce, the team’s preparation and focus gave them confidence.
“I want them to go out and have fun, and to remember all those who have come before you and who will come after you,” Bailey said. “It’s about Highland Park and the tradition of excellence. We can’t control other teams, but we can control what we do.”
The State meet pushed every runner to their limits, but their grit they gained from their preparation pushed them to succeed.
“It was definitely fast,” Ragan said. “Just watching them by the end of the race I could tell they were tired, but they stayed so motivated. Staying mentally in it can be tough, but encouraging them was just a lot of fun, knowing that they’re all working together and that they’re not by themselves.”
The team’s success reflects countless early mornings, grueling workouts and unwavering dedication. With their strong work ethic and tight-knit team culture, they’re already looking ahead to next year, eager to build on this year’s success.
“Being on the starting line with the best teams in the state is intimidating, but finishing shows me I can do very hard things,” Payte said. “The state experience taught me ‘if I can do this, I can do a lot of things in life.’”
