The girls Chelsea cross country team continued a successful season where they won their conference by recently placing first at regionals on Saturday, October 28th, at Erie Metro Park, avoiding a three-way tie for first place by only one point.

The Bulldogs were led by junior Natalia DeMea who finished second. She is also ranked fourth on the all-time Chelsea Girls Cross Country list.

Although cross country in an individual race, the cross country coach Laura Lutz notes that every team member still has to do their part.

“It has been a team effort for the whole team,” said Lutz. “During pre-season camps and workouts, the group of runners got really close, and they started off the season really bonded.”

Though the official cross country season may have started in August, for a lot of the team members it started much earlier.

“For me personally, this year was one of the years where I started working towards getting the school record,” DeMea said. “I put in more mileage over the summer as well as during the season.”

DeMea also does track in the off-season; she runs six days a week to build her mileage base for track, and includes strength training when she doesn’t want to run or when she’s having trouble running through snow or ice. 

Though it may seem difficult to balance sports and schoolwork, DeMea thinks that sports have actually helped her.

“I honestly think cross-country helps me manage my schoolwork, keeps my mind clear, and makes me productive and less stressed. I usually run before I do any homework, and I think it helps me overall.”