Although the season quickly came to an end, the team worked hard up until then to finish strong. With each meet, the runners pushed themselves and showed much improvement from the beginning of the season. Although the team has not grown much in size over the last few years, they are hoping that next season they will have enough runners to have a full team. Cross country is very much an individual sport; however, it is possible to get team trophies and awards at different races.
Cross country is a sport that requires a great deal of endurance and stamina. The good news for Freedom runners was that the courses and trails they practiced on set them up for anything. Many trails have roots or large hills, and it is important to know how to navigate those situations. Some schools do not have the ability to practice with such rigorous courses. When it comes time for bigger meets, such as the MAC tournament, runners can become a little intimidated.
“Since we train at Brush Creek, we are more used to these types of trails, and I was able to pass more people that were scared and slowing down on the downhills,” sophomore Noah Chaousy said.
The team continued to practice together until the PIAA State Championship meet was held on — in Hersey, PA. Couch was the only one competing from Freedom. This will be his final time competing at states for high school cross country. After his last year, he is hopeful to show improvements as he starts his college career in cross country.
What makes cross country such a unique sport is how different each runner is. Everyone is running at a different pace and experiencing the courses differently. Each course has a unique amount of obstacles and quirks to them, and the preparation needed beforehand can look different for each runner. Although there are so many differences, each runner is still putting one foot before the other with the same goal in mind.
The team participated in the WPIAL Championship on Oct. 26. Results from that meet were not available at the time of this publication. The team will also hold their end of the year banquet. This is a chance to come together for fun after the season to celebrate the accomplishments of the team. However, this year the team will also be saying farewell to senior, Couch.
“I am going to miss the family that comes with running cross country, not just within my team but also within other teams,” Couch said. “You start to grow a bond with the kids you race against almost as a rivalry.”