Varsity cross country operates by a system in which players’ spots aren’t guaranteed; instead, players compete and work hard during every run in order to earn a spot to compete at the next meet. One runner who has consistently earned their spot during the season is senior Andrew Head.

“The original way to get on varsity when you don’t have a full team is to reach a time,” Head said. “For guys, it’s 20 minutes. For girls, it’s 24. As the season goes on, more people will make varsity and the competition will get greater for the varsity spots.”

Players compete with each other but they
still motivate and push one another to improve throughout the process. Even in the midst of tough competition, players will work and grow together.

“In terms of competing for spots, it’s more so we’re all pushing ourselves to be better than each other instead of feeling like you’re going against your teammates,” senior runner Drake Morris said. “The support from your teammates can make you feel like you can do better, and they push you so that you can improve more than you would alone.”