The Girls Cross Country team was recently named Regional Champions on October 28th, meaning they will now advance to compete for the state championship this Saturday, November 4th. The race was held at Lake Erie Metropark, and the team placed first with a score of 81.

Placing in second, runner Natalia DeMea (‘25) qualified for states along with her fellow teammates Samantha Bieber (‘26), Zora Ziolkowski (‘27), Lauren Thompson (‘25), Seren Angus (‘24), Clara Fredenburg (‘24), and Marah Putnam (‘24). Many runners were successful in setting personal records for the season and generally felt accomplished when reflecting on their performance.

“Everyone is so happy with the amount of work and effort that was put in, and even more happy with the payoff,” freshman Zoey Bendena said. “It was truly a team effort; the amount of support everyone has for each other is really impressive.”

One of the team’s goals was to create a supportive environment. At the start of their season, the team set out group-specific goals in addition to brainstorming ways they could make an effort to include team bonding exercises throughout the season.

“It’s been great,” Bendena said. “Everyone is really welcoming and supportive; I never once felt like I didn’t belong or had to prove myself to have a place with everyone. It really is an incredibly supportive and caring group of people; it made my first year so much more enjoyable.”

Running is a very impactful sport, putting a lot of pressure on these athletes to work through injuries so as to avoid missing any running opportunities. Runners are encouraged to sit out races and focus on healing; however, because of the unique environment the girls cross country team has created, runners never feel left out during times of injury.

“It’s been good,” Bendena said. “It could’ve gone better; injuries and sickness kept me from running in a couple meets, but all in all, I’m proud of all I’ve done. It’s been a great experience.”