During the first cross country meet of the season, the team made a strong appearance with girls on both the Varsity and C team placing in the top 25 runners. The two mile course was run at Stocksdale Park in Liberty Sept. 3.

Freshman Lily Henkle made her high school debut placing first place overall in the C team race. She crossed the finish line a full minute and a half before any other runner did.

“I was pretty nervous before the race but once I started running I felt good,” Henkle said.

Henkle, who has been running competitively since sixth grade, will be running varsity at the meet in Raymore-Peculiar on Sept. 10.

“I’ve been running with the varsity girls during practices so I feel prepared to run varsity at this upcoming meet,” Henkle said. “I’m still nervous though.”

Senior Kathleen Gansner was also awarded a medal for placing in the first 25 to cross the finish line in the girl’s Varsity race.

“I thought the meet went well,” Gansner said. “It was a good start to my last season of cross country.”

Cross country still has a long road ahead of them, with eight more meets scheduled during the regular season.

“It was good to get a race under our belt,” head coach and teacher Reynold Middleton said. “We will have a full varsity run at Ray-Pec so that will be good.”

The meet at Liberty proved itself to be a pushing-off point for the rest of the season, with both seniors beginning the end of their four years and freshmen creating new names for themselves.

“I’m optimistic about this season,” Middleton said. “I’m excited to see what these girls can do.”