Cross Country State Finals by Emma Schoonmaker
This past cross-country season, the Saugatuck boys and girls teams qualified for the state finals. This is a thrilling experience that all high school runners hope to have. All of the teams put in an immense amount of work to get to the Michigan International Speedway, and the results were super rewarding. To actually make it there, though, your team has to place somewhere in the top three teams at the regionals meet, and this goes for every region in Michigan; the state finals meet is made up of the top three teams from each region, and any other runner who individually qualified but whose team as a whole did not.
When asked how she felt about going to state finals this year, Lyvia Curtis said, “It was really exciting, especially as a freshman. It was nice to know that all of the hard work that our team has put in over the years paid off. We felt pretty confident going into regionals, but it still felt great having the confirmation.” Even though a team may be ranked in the top three, there are always those small but scary chances that they don’t end up in that position. That is why all of the runners remember that the only thing they can control is how they themselves race; whatever the other teams choose to do is totally out of their hands. Kamryn Sixberry said, “It was very nerve-racking. I was so anxious but also very excited and happy to be able to go with the team this year.”
Of course, one cannot forget about all of the smiles and laughs that are a part of cross country. Because the team goes through all of the hard workouts and cold, shivery ice baths together, a sense of family is created and they become very close-knit with each other. These things make state finals all the better because they get to go there with some of their favorite people. When asked what the car ride to state finals was like, Marcus Silva said, “It was wild. I’ll just say that. It was chaotic and wild, but it was fun. It was exciting.” His description of stepping on the start line was, “As soon as that gun goes off, the adrenaline sets in and you just go.” When asked what his racing strategy that day was, Sawyer Monroe said, “I waited, I played it smart, and then I kicked it in the second mile, and then I rode off the last mile like it was a horse.”
Going to state finals is a great privilege that requires a vast amount of motivation and a good attitude. Jaiden Myler said, “Hugging everyone after was surreal and it made me realize how amazing it was to go to state with a whole team to support me, rather than a personalized event.” When asked what was going through her mind as she was walking through the chute with the team after the race, Anna McQueary said, “It was just all very surreal and emotional, it was the last meet of the season and it was over. I felt blue but also so incredibly happy about the season and how hard we had all worked to get to where we were.” Our girls team earned 12th in the state, and the boys earned 10th.
When asked how she felt about going to state finals this year, Lyvia Curtis said, “It was really exciting, especially as a freshman. It was nice to know that all of the hard work that our team has put in over the years paid off. We felt pretty confident going into regionals, but it still felt great having the confirmation.” Even though a team may be ranked in the top three, there are always those small but scary chances that they don’t end up in that position. That is why all of the runners remember that the only thing they can control is how they themselves race; whatever the other teams choose to do is totally out of their hands. Kamryn Sixberry said, “It was very nerve-racking. I was so anxious but also very excited and happy to be able to go with the team this year.”
Of course, one cannot forget about all of the smiles and laughs that are a part of cross country. Because the team goes through all of the hard workouts and cold, shivery ice baths together, a sense of family is created and they become very close-knit with each other. These things make state finals all the better because they get to go there with some of their favorite people. When asked what the car ride to state finals was like, Marcus Silva said, “It was wild. I’ll just say that. It was chaotic and wild, but it was fun. It was exciting.” His description of stepping on the start line was, “As soon as that gun goes off, the adrenaline sets in and you just go.” When asked what his racing strategy that day was, Sawyer Monroe said, “I waited, I played it smart, and then I kicked it in the second mile, and then I rode off the last mile like it was a horse.”
Going to state finals is a great privilege that requires a vast amount of motivation and a good attitude. Jaiden Myler said, “Hugging everyone after was surreal and it made me realize how amazing it was to go to state with a whole team to support me, rather than a personalized event.” When asked what was going through her mind as she was walking through the chute with the team after the race, Anna McQueary said, “It was just all very surreal and emotional, it was the last meet of the season and it was over. I felt blue but also so incredibly happy about the season and how hard we had all worked to get to where we were.” Our girls team earned 12th in the state, and the boys earned 10th.