Cross country looks to continue success after Seward championship

Westside’s cross country teams are looking to get another win Friday, Sept. 9 in the Millard South Invitational at Walnut Grove Park. Last week the Warriors won the combined boys and girls team championship at the Charles Thorell Invitational in Seward, for the first time since 2014.

The boys are coming off a runner-up finish at the Seward meet. The Warriors are proud of how the season is going thus far, but don’t want to get ahead of themselves. 

“The season has gone well,” head coach Theresa Gosnell said. “The times for the runners are where they need to be, and they will continue to improve as the season progresses.”

The boys team is fulfilling their potential, as young star sophomore Connor Gross finished in 7th place with a time of 17:17. Junior Jayden Wall also had a great race and placed 9th with a time of 17:22. Senior Jack Gerard wasn’t far behind finishing in 14th place with a time of 17:28. 

 “We must keep up the smart training in practice and keep getting better at our racing tactics,” Gross said. 

The team is confident that they can compete with the best of them, but don’t set unrealistic goals. They are big believers in personal goals set individually and team goals set by all the runners. 

“Obviously we want to win and be competitive at every meet we go to,” Gross said. “ But a more realistic goal is to keep setting personal records”. 

Much like the boys team the girls team is off to a great start, after finishing third in the Charlie Thorell Invitational. Junior Stella Miner came in first place with a time of 19:03. The team also had a great contribution from Freshman Mia Urosevich, who finished in 4th place. Westside junior Claire White did not compete, as she recovers from a light injury. 

“I think if the team keeps lifting each-other up like we’ve been doing, it’s only going to go up from here,” White said. “If everyone keeps showing up to practice and putting in the work everyday, I have no doubt this season will be great.” 

The cross country runners are setting personal records quite often this year, and that’s just one goal they have as they continue their season. The team acknowledges they need to continue to improve and maintain a positive attitude going forward. 

“The team can continue to work on the areas in the race where they can improve,” Gosnell said. “Trusting their training, and doing their best to meet their goals.”

The team believes they are in a good place and are confident in their ability to make improvements going into the Millard South Invitational this Friday.