By JACOB SOLOMON
This year’s Jericho cross country team is the definition of determination. Unlike most track sports, which primarily focus on speed, cross country is all about endurance and stamina.
Completing a cross country race is no easy task, yet this year’s team did it almost effortlessly despite going through pain and fatigue throughout the race. For example, senior co-captain Brad C. said, “During a race, even though my legs are burning and I’m almost out of breath, I still try and push through and finish and get a good time.”
Junior Matthew G. added, “Even though I am very tired throughout the race, the only thing on my mind is finishing the race and doing my best.”
Another unique quality about this year’s team is the diversity in age, with a wide mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Despite the differences in grades, the team still manages to show great chemistry and collaboration. Jericho parent Ms. Marchand said, “Even though the team has a wide mix of ages, they are still one team.”
For a large portion of the season, the team was not able to practice on Jericho’s track due to construction. Cross country coach Mr. Smith said, “Since the track was under renovation, we couldn’t use it for warmups and we had to meet by the baseball field instead.”
He added, “It was a little more challenging, but the kids were ready to respond to it.”
It is this readiness and camaraderie that made this year’s cross country team stronger for next season. Senior co-captain Brad C. said, “We have a lot of very promising freshmen so the future of the cross country team is bright.”