Cross Country Preview
By: Lyla Boozer
Building on the success of last year, when four St. Mary’s runners made it to the state finals, this year’s cross-country team looks forward to a very promising season that will offer returning seniors Lily Fairbanks and Dee Dee Herrington opportunities to establish lasting legacies in their final season.
In its first meet this season on Sept 14, the team lost to St. John Paul II High School. In the girls’ race, Dee-Dee Herrington placed second with a time of 22:47.
“We are a very small team, but last year we were able to get four people to state,” Lily says. “We hope to be able to return to state again this year.”
One of the premiere events of the cross-country season is the upcoming Nike Sponsored Desert Twilight Meet on September 30. Last year, this event featured several “personal best” performances from St. Mary’s runners. Coach Santana says he is looking forward to some strong performances at this year’s event
He also notes that the team has looked very good during practice as team captains have “stepped up” and assumed leadership roles.
During practice, “Dee Dee recently pushed (freshman) Miguel Martinez Carrillo to finish stronger than he thought he would.”
Additionally, several new runners are also showing promise and improvement.
With great team effort, exciting upcoming events, continuous improvement, and the likelihood of team members qualifying for state, the 2022 cross country season should deliver some very exciting results.
