The cross country team will compete tomorrow in Belton.

The team has been practicing since July 11, and their first meet was Aug. 19 in Temple. The boys placed 6th and girls placed 5th.

“So far, it has been really good,” coach Macey Seigert said. “If you compare our Temple meet from this year and last year, our times are better. That’s exciting.”

Seigert’s goal is to get two medals at the district meet this year and send both boys and girls teams to Regionals.

“I really think with this new district that we have an opportunity to win the district meet,” Seigert said. “[Senior] Clayton Shaw ran a really good time for the beginning of the year.”

Seigert chooses varsity every week so that the varsity has the people who ran the best that week. She chooses one day a week to time the athletes and see who will make the cut.

“The biggest challenge is finding the right seven for varsity,”  Seigert said. “Deciding on the boys, because I have so many boys, who’s varsity? Who’s JV? Because it all changes all the time.”

Runner times are decreasing making varsity more competitive than last year.

The biggest challenge this year could be in Lago Vista, mostly because it is in the hill country of Texas. Seigert strategizes practices to help runners meet that challenge. 

“I’ve actually changed a lot,” Seigert said. “Mondays we have been doing longer runs and then I’m trying to incorporate more speed work.”