Following last year’s third place state finish, the cross country team is under even more pressure to succeed.  Not only because the state finalists want to be the best, but the Missouri State High School Activities Association standards have changed, and based on Sion’s enrollment compared to other schools, the cross country team now changed classes from class 3A to class 4A.

The team will have a post-season schedule of districts, sectionals, then state.  This differs from years past, where they did not compete in sectionals.  With the additional races, training will be a little different, but according to Head Coach Reynold Middleton, not that different.

“We are just going to do what we have always done and do the best we can,”  Coach Middleton said.

But it doesn’t mean they still around nervous about the upcoming season.

Lauren Blando, Junior, voiced her concerns “Usually we are guaranteed a spot to state, but this year we have to work just to make it to sectionals.”

They also feel additional pressure.

Olivia Dugan, Junior,  said, “There is probably a little more pressure, just because we did so well last year in 3A.  Now we have to try to even make it to state.”

But they aren’t letting adversity stop them.  The girls run before and after school get in top shape to perform.  And Coach Middleton isn’t worried.  When put in a theoretical bracket with all classes combined from last years state meet, Sion’s cross country team beat out all other Kansas City competitors, even in 4A.  And with the core group of runners back this year, Coach Middleton hopes the outcome will be much the same.

“Last years team at the state meet had probably the best showing of any team I’ve ever coached.  Even though they didn’t place as well as some others, as far as ability level and the level they stepped up, they they peaked at the right time, better than any team I’ve ever coached,” Coach Middleton said.

Following this strong statement, and already decreasing times of the girls, the cross country team is competitive and willing to push themselves to truly be the best they can be.

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“We just have to step up and do it at the right time,”

“Its hard to know where we will pan out, it depends on how hard we push ourselves” Blando says.

The road to state will be harder, but the girls are definitely willing to work hard to prepare themselves to succeed.