Cross country is racing ahead of the competition this season. With the arrival of autumn, the cross country team is training harder than ever to achieve their eighth win at counties and a first groups championship victory in school history.

The team has already had a taste of victory with their win against West Milford last Monday. This win was accomplished through the strong efforts of all runners and especially the team’s varsity pace setters such as Joe Zisa, Bryant O’Donohue, Emily Becker, and Taylor Domico, who, according to the team, are the current unbeatable runners.

Nonetheless, the whole team still has big sneakers to fill as they face some upcoming challenges.

“Our biggest competition is Northern Highlands because it’s a good match-up and a young team,”  said Coach Jason Staggers. This same team is especially competitive as it is seeking vengeance against Hills for last year’s defeat.

Behind the wonderful performances and victories is a strategic process that helps the runners prepare for meets. A crucial part of running includes training hard, having a balanced diet, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This means getting plenty of sleep, something that the average high school student often finds difficult. Each team member is also trying new individual health techniques to help them beat their competition.

“I like to eat small meals so I can build up energy for meets,” says freshman Jayleen Martinez.

The team’s second coach, Jaris Rousseau, also encourages staying hydrated by drinking four to five bottles of water on an average school day. Staying cool is vital for runners in order to feel more comfortable and improve their running times.    

With the season just beginning, all runners must prepare to deal with injuries. Ranging from sore legs, to shin splints, to knee injuries, the season has already begun taking its annual toll on the muscles and bones. This is why all runners must first learn to maintain a proper form. According to Coach Staggers and Coach Rousseau having good posture and a striding form lessens the risk of injury, but also improves the runner’s pace.

Despite much discomfort, most cross country members think that the experience is worth all of the pain. They have a tight knit team bond and it is evident that they are all friends. Many runners have expressed their dislike towards team drama, which is why they are accepting towards new members. Freshmen have noted the welcoming atmosphere and are very supportive to their older fellow athletes.

“When people run in high school, they are taught responsibility before the team….This advances them into the world of college [where] everything they learned comes in a unified power… dedication, persistence, and passion makes a good runner great,” explains former Hills cross country captain and current college varsity runner Anastasia Zelenin. Zelenin as well as junior varsity member Kaitlyn Wisse emphasize that communication is key on the team. Working together is what propels and motivates all members to go on.

The cross country team’s next race is a tri-county meet with Wayne Valley High School and Fair Lawn High School on September 20th. As usual, the varsity and junior varsity will have to run a 5 kilometer course, while the freshmen will face a 1.7 mile run. They are expected to win this meet, and hopefully many more in the near future.