On a cool, bright morning, both the girls and boys cross country teams competed in their annual Intrasquad Lake Race.
The 2.64 mile race around Green Lake has been a Bishop Blanchet tradition for years. The weather was cool, cloudy, and perfect for running. This year had a fantastic turnout with so much support and encouragement from everybody running, coaching, and cheering on the athletes.
Aside from the loving community, there were noticeably monumental personal records made as well. “Today was on average the fastest girls lake race for the entire team. If you take everybody’s time together, it’s probably the fastest team of seventy-seven kids we’ve had,” said the girl’s assistant coach Kent.
Runners from both the boy’s and the girl’s teams had outstanding races with high spirits and a lot of hard work. The effort these athletes put into racing and supporting their teammates is admirable. “We saw a lot of PR’s, a lot of really fast times but most importantly a lot of support from teammates and from the community and from each other. It was just really beautiful to see everyone coming together and cheering for each other and doing this really challenging thing, I’m so proud,” said the girl’s head coach Molly Foster.
Although the sport may be considered individual, it requires so much more than meets the eye. Teammates worked together to push each other forward during the hardest parts of the race, despite their own struggles. “The lake race is so much fun, I love getting to be with the whole cross country community and being able to cheer on my teammates,” said Sophia Cool, the girls first place finisher, who didn’t leave the finish line until every girl had crossed it.
Many of the boy runners also waited after their race to cheer on the girls. This race in particular can be stressful for runners not only because they’re competing for spots in the varsity heat at the following meet, but also to get their name and best time on the board hanging in the school gym. Luckily, by training throughout the summer and during the first week of school, the runners were prepared for the challenge that morning and their efforts did not disappoint. We can’t wait to see where the rest of the 2025 season takes these amazing strong teams.
