With a youth-infused team this season, the girls cross country team focused on steady improvement and staying competitive within the division.

“We have a really young team, so coming into the season we looked toward the few veteran returners we have to step up and set good examples,” Head Coach Steven Henry said. “I think that’s definitely happened.” 

Senior Stephanie Montesinos, one of the few experienced team members, was focused on staying healthy this season and just enjoying the experience, as well as getting along with the rest of the team.

“The main goal was to mostly enjoy this season since it was my last one and I wanted to end the past four years on a good note,” Montesinos said. “[This] did happen because I am genuinely grateful for how this amazing group of people made this the most enjoyable and memorable cross country season yet.”

One of the ways the team gets ready for a meet and something that has become a team ritual is when everyone gets together and sings a specific song.

“A pre-game ritual we have is singing “I Want It that Way” by the Backstreet Boys,” junior Irene Park said. “I don’t really remember how it started but it became a habit to sing it whenever we went to a meet and it hyped us up for our races.” 

In Conference, the Mustangs were looking to finish in eighth or ninth place, and they were able to finish in ninth at the Conference meet. While they still have hope to get some runners through to Sectionals, Henry was pleased with the result of their season. 

“We finished about where I thought we’d be at Conference, but I think we’re [heading] in the right direction,” Henry said.

While there have been some runners that haven’t made it through the program all four years, Henry has been excited to see the growth of the runners that have stuck with the sport which bodes well for the future.

“We lost about seven kids this year who just decided they didn’t want to do it throughout the season, but the group that has done it has been really committed and showed a lot of growth,” Henry said.