/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_hrj2bfmqyaw3vojl4bnvnxfa_83f1ee8e-e73e-4eb3-b32d-b0be16807a5e_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Fri, 24 May 2013 04:40:51 GMT 15 By Mandy White
Immediately the laughter subsides, as preparation for the long, hilly courses ahead sets into the heads of the many athletes. “Warm up,” he nonchalantly says, clapping his hands. Everyone obeys, and practice is underway. The Cross Country team has been prepping really hard for the upcoming meets. So far the boys are 2-2, and the girls 1-3. The leaders of the boys squad are Garrett Brown (captain), Joshua Craddock, Andrew Huang, Matt Ewart, Ryan Scherer, and Mike Nelson. All possess the strength and grit that cause the team to succeed. Coach Ballew explained, “I want Josh and Garrett to be consistent winners in the meets. They are thinking like leaders. The other five I want to be closely following them”. The girl’s team is off to a shaky start, still recovering over the loss of their champion runner, Alma Leibrecht, who is now a freshman in college. Sophie Carlton, the only senior girl on the team, has stepped in to take her place as captain. On commenting on the girl’s team, Coach stated, “All the girls have taken turns getting first place. Annie Hoang, Kelly Nessler, Nikki Slatkins, and some others along with their captain have continually proved to me that they all have the speed and determination”. The goal for the cross country team is to make it to the state meet in November. To get there, they have to be one of the 1st 7 out of 13 schools in the regional meet to qualify, or qualify as individuals. Training for this includes a variety of running drills, courses, distances, and terrains. Junior Brian Tran commented, “This is my first year on the team and I never realized how hard cross country was going to be. A lot of people say it’s one of the hardest sports to participate in at Paint Branch because it takes a lot of energy and power out of you.” Coach Ballew agreed. “The training is important, but the will is vital. I’m trying to get them to run as a group, and peak towards the end of the season. I appreciate the year round track runners that commit.” With the vastly approaching regional meet on October 31, the players are striving to get their times down. Their past two meets confirmed that they are improving rapidly. The upcoming invitational meets will be their final chance to prove their skills. ]]> Fri, 25 Oct 2002 04:00:00 GMT