Credit to Brianna Dunham

Senior Madeline Dustin runs in a meet for cross country.

On Nov. 2, Varsity Cross Country faced 21 schools in the Class 5 District held at McNair Park. Six boys and seven girls placed amongst the top 100, with senior Kevin McGuire placing 35th overall with a time of 17:38.48.

“He went out well and his position was decent,” Cross Country coach Kim Martin said. “Overall, he and the team did a pretty good job.”

Though no athletes made state, the Knights placed high amongst their peers. Varsity athlete Madeline Dustin stood out at GACs with her placement of 27th overall with a time of 21:20.86. 

Along with Dustin’s high placement at GAC, another highlight for the team was on Oct. 5, the runners competed at the Paul Enke Invitational and the girls’ team secured second place overall while running the Sioux Passage. 

“I’m really proud of all my teammates for their commitment and hard work at Sioux Passage this year,” senior Katie Head, who has ran for the team since freshman year said. “It’s our toughest course but they all pushed through and by working with each other. It was really exciting for all of us.” 

Over the summer, cross country camped out at Babler State Park where they played sports, lit a campfire and stayed overnight at a site while sleeping in tents. The following morning, the team went on a 5-mile run. Because of all this time together, members said they formed a strong bond, not only on the course but off of it as well.

“At that point, I feel like I was already pretty good friends with everyone on the team,” sophomore Jackson Stringer said. “We shared a lot of stories about ourselves around the campfire. So, I was able to learn more about my team.”

The team is losing six seniors this year, four girls and two boys, many of which have been in the program for their entire high school careers. 

“I’ve always loved my team so much and we’re just like a family,” Dustin said. “But good things always come to an end. So, while I’m sad, it’s my time to leave. I’m ready to start the next season in life.”