Up and Running

The Newbies
As coach Tricia Beahm announced the three mile run on the first day of cross country, a jumble of negative thoughts ran through sophomore Brennan William’s head, on top of which perched her neon-yellow “BAM!” bow.

“What am I doing here? I won’t be able to finish this run…I’m not a runner,” thought Williams.

But she did finish it. And all of the runs after that, since the beginning of the season.  Before those runs she never would’ve thought she’d be improving each day, or planning on running for the rest of her high school career. And, against her expectations, she was actually enjoying cross country.

“I always thought cross country wasn’t for me, but you can go your own pace, be your own person.  And I can still wear my bows.”

The Scandal Squad
Seniors Katy Richardson and Betsy Blessen walk side by side along the field as Richardson crams a handful of goldfish into her mouth. Chatting and munching, the two juniors remain oblivious to what is going on around them on the Fall morning. Only when the starter fires his gun signaling the beginning of the girls’ first Cross Country race do they realize they’re supposed to be running.

With a scream of surprise, they run off to join the rest of the girls in the C-Team race.

From talking on race mornings to chatting on runs, Richardson loves socializing at cross country. She runs to be with her friends, as well as to keep in shape. Richardson and her friends were passed down the honorable “Scandal Squad” name by the seniors who established the group the previous year.

“We [the Scandal Squad] aren’t looking to be Varsity runners, just looking to enjoy the sport,” says Richardson.

While Richardson and her friends always keep cross country fun, they know it’s hard work.
Next year, the Scandal Squad will pass down the honor to a group of the coming year’s C-Team senior girls with the same positive attitude, and who, of course, love to socialize. Because after all, that’s what the Scandal Squad is all about.

The vast, mountainous Colorado terrain stretches before junior Reid Frye’s eyes as he looks down at what he and his cross country teammates have just completed. They climbed up Gray’s Mountain-all 14,000 feet of it.
“I looked down and saw what me and my teammates had just completed. It was the highlight of my trip,” says Frye.

The trip Frye took this summer was with the Varsity boys’ and girls’ teams. They went to Grand Lake, CO where they ran in a race and took long climb/runs up the local mountains. At nights, they all played games like poker and Twister for fun after their days of rigorous activity. They bonded as a team, one of Frye’s favorite parts of the trip, as his teammates make cross country enjoyable for him.
“It got us focused for the year and ready to go,” Frye said.