Cross Country Spotlight

When asked about what people like to do for fun, many would not even begin to think about answering “running.” The reason for this is not because of things like boredom or a lack of time, it is simply because running is hard. It takes endurance, strength, perseverance, and more qualities that some people lack. Running requires one to not only be hardworking but it also requires one to train every day. Not all people who love to run are specifically good at running, but the Calloway County Cross Country team goes above and beyond in meeting those standards.  

This year, Calloway had both the boys’ and girls’ teams finish 9th at state, which is the second-best finish for both teams in the last 25 years. The girls team had their second regional champion this year, Reese Settle. Last year the team had their first regional champion, Ainsley Smith. The team had 2 All State runners, with two other runners that came very close to also being All State runners. As stated by Coach Grooms, “The girls were the best team from Owensboro down and the boys were top 5.”  

During the off season, the players take some time off to give the players some time to rest. After their bodies have time to calm down, they will start light training by running a few days a week. This year, the teams are going to try to focus on strength training. They’re going to build their arms, legs and core, focusing less on running until after Christmas. After Christmas, they will begin to get back into running more heavily.  

Most of the Cross-Country runners also participate in track during the spring, so they are going to be trying to get more record times and more practice running. Next year, the team will be losing senior Bella Swain. “The girls program is set to be good for quite a while, because they’re pretty young. The boys are really heavy in the Junior class, so this year will be the year they are all in,” states Coach Grooms. This team has a bright future ahead of them.