Three state placements in a row, two consecutive district victories and one girls’ cross-country team driven to succeed. Their secret? Relentless conditioning and an unconditionally supportive community.

At the state competition, varsity captain Anna McAndrew achieved her third top-30 placement, reflecting her consistent performance. Her success, as McAndrew explains, was the result of a close adherence to intensive conditioning, a critical aspect of the sport.

“It’s horrible. McAndrew said. “You have to be willing to push your body to the absolute max if you want to be good at it,and that’s a really daunting task.” 

The team prepared with six-mile runs, race-speed workouts and cooldown days in between. This schedule required consistent effort from the runners. Coach Crowe, a veteran coach of cross country and track, recognized the team dedication. 

“When I first got here about nine years ago, it didn’t seem like there was much interest in doing mileage,” Crowe said. “I increased the mileage. I think they all understand now that when we run when we have a long day, we’re (all) gonna run along.”

The structured training regimen equipped the girls’ team for the state competition. The strategies they honed during practice, such as maintaining a steady pace and persisting in the face of fatigue, were important when competing against the top teams in Missouri.

“During the race, there were a lot of girl’s who we expected to run well that dropped out,” McAndrew said. “As I was running past I would see these girls who I knew were really good laying on the ground in the middle of the course, which was scary because you never know what happened.”

Their teamwork contributed to the success at state as well, due to the “pack” strategy: a method where alike runners grouped up and paced one another. This plan required a mutual willingness to cooperate among the girls to execute properly, which is preserved by the team captains. Captain and junior Analee Miller maintains this atmosphere, fostering camaraderie and open communication among team members. 

“If there’s any sort of conflict that’s ultimately my fault,” Miller said. “So I think it is just more about not caring about only my role in the team, but also if everyone else feels like they’re supported, and making sure that everyone’s really involved and trying their hardest. Freshman Jocelyn Zou, the only freshman to make varsity, benefited from the supportive community during her transition from middle to high school. 

    “During races everybody shows up to support each other,” Zou said. “All the girls stayed at the finish line after, and seeing them cheering at the end really improved my run.”