"Don't fall, don't fall. What if I fall and twist my ankle? No, don't think about that... What if an animal jumps out and eats me? This hill is murder. Breathe and run, just keep breathing and running. "

These are the thoughts often running through Junior, Sarah Cornacchio's head during cross country meets. The 2006 season is her third year running for the I.H.S. Cross Country team. She and others agree that it was one of the hardest seasons yet.

The team faced off against Masconomet, Georgetown, Lynnfield, Manchester-Essex, and North Andover. One of the hardest meets seems to have been at the Hamilton-Wenham course against Lynnfield.

"They have the biggest hill, it starts off gently then its practically vertical," says Cornacchio of the Hamilton-Wenham course.

According to Matt Simms, coach of the cross country team, the squad has "improved dramatically.

"The boy's team won a total of one meet in the last two years," Simms said. "This year they won four meets out of twelve against really tough competitors."

Hamilton-Wenham wasn't the only challenge the team had to overcome; Masconomet is a large school, therefore they have a larger team and are better able to pick who will perform the best.

But this year the Ipswich team has some new runners who are doing the team good. Sophomore Alex Vlahos and Senior Susan Rogers are new to the team this year, though Rogers has participated in cross country in the past.

It's not just new runners who are doing well.

When Simms was asked who he thought had improved the most this year, he showered the newbies with praise saying.

"Everyone did well," Simms reported. "Freshmen Greg Krathwohl, Ian Stewart, Gus Zagarella and junior Andi Stewart and senior Susan Rodgers all did fantastic."

Nor is this the only support that the team is getting. ans and parents put in an appearance at meets, although it is not as widely acknowledged as other I.H.S. sports teams.

"I just wish there was more recognition for cross country," Cornacchio pointed out. "It's just as difficult as other sports."

Cornacchio contends that cross country is not a sport that needs an audience because it is all about the individual.

"You don't need the whole school there to cheer you on because at the end of the day only you and the team itself can win or lose," Cornacchio said.

Simms is also happy with the support for the cross country team.

"[We have] the best parents a coach could hope for," he said.

The last meet will take place on Saturday, November 11 at Franklin Park in Boston.

The team can only hope that at the end of the season I.H.S. will give this endurance testing sport the recognition its participants are clearly craving.

After all cross country is as Simms says, "(a) sport that is other sport's punishment."