Months of training. Miles of running. All ending in the final race of the season, the All-State Championship Meet. On Saturday, November 9, the Varsity Cross Country teams prepared for this momentous competition.

“I knew it was coming mentally, so that‘s what motivated me to run faster at State. After one day, you realize you’re done and it’s like, ‘Oh, wow. Four years of work are history.’ It was also a relief, because I didn’t want to mess up. I tried not to think of the race until the day of the race,” senior Ty Hughes said.

Nervousness is the natural given of any competition, but the butterflies are apt to fly away once reality kicks in. Then, the race is on. Hughes took advantage of that to claim 5^th place in the All-State race, and the Boys’ Varsity themselves took 4^th place overall.

“The competition was obviously the best Class 3 runners in the state—best teams as well—it was really pretty difficult; times were pretty fast; everyone just stepped up their game a little bit. There were basically six teams fighting for four spots, and we got one of those four spots,” senior Austin Casel said

Amidst the mayhem, the excitement, and the revelry of the competition, the girls’ team still kept their cool and made time for the camaraderie that they had been building all season.

“I feel like the best part was our prayer before because we just kind of encouraged each other and we told each other that whatever happens, we’ll be proud, and it all felt real because we had all fulfilled this goal, and it was the moment when all our hard work was worth it,” Gomez said.

It was a hard-fought battle for the girls, but they did not walk away empty-handed. Junior Stephanie Boan took 14^th place, an All-State ranking, and the team took 5^th place overall. The whole team put everything they had into running a good race.

“The race was challenging because there were a lot of hills, but I just tried to stay with Yessie [Yesenia] the whole time and not lose her, because I knew it was the last race of the season,” freshman Kelsey Cox said.

Returning home accomplished and relieved, the Varsity teams conclude their season with many good memories and hard-earned victories.

“It’s actually extremely sad to be done, because there may be Track, but I won’t be able to run with the same team as I did at State. I also really got a connection with not only the Varsity, but the JV girls, too,” Gomez said.