Eagan Cross Country takes on Sections

Audrey Blakely, Features Writer

Boys​​ and​​ Girls​​ Cross​​ Country​​ completed​​ their​​ conference ​​meet​​ on​​ Friday,​​ October​​ 13th,​​ taking​​ place ​​at​​ the​​ Eagan​​ course. ​​This​​ was​​ the ​​last​​ meet​​ of ​​the​​ season​​ for ​​both ​​junior ​​varsity teams, however,​​ boys​​ JV​​ continued ​​to​​ practice ​​with the​​ section team​​ for​​ support. The​​ sections​​ race ​​takes place​​ at​​ Valleywood​​ Golf​​ Course​​ in​​ Apple ​​Valley​​ on​​ October​​ 26th.

To​​ encourage​​ the​​ sections ​​team,​​ the​​ JV​​ girls​​ make​​ posters​​ for​​ each​​ member​​ of ​​the​​ sections team​​ and​​ attend​​ the​​ meet ​​to​​ cheer them on.​​ According​​ to​​ senior ​​Max​​ Marshall,​​ the​​ boys​​ JV​​ team also​​ plans ​​to​​ head​​ out​​ to​​ Apple​​ Valley​​ on​​ Thursday​​ to​​ back​​ the​​ team. Member​​ of​​ the​​ boys​​ section team,​​ senior​​ Jack​​ Martin,​​ shared​​ some​​ advice​​ to​​ those​​ going ​​to the ​​meet,​​ to​​ keep​​ an​​ eye​​ on​​ Trenton​​ Allen​​ and​​ Adam​​ McMonigal​​ during​​ the​​ race.​​ “Trenton ​​is always ​​one​​ to​​ watch​​ out​​ for​​ on​​ the​​ course”​​ Martin​​ claimed,​​ “and​​ they’re​​ both​​ expected ​​to​​ do well.”​​

To​​ prepare ​​for ​​sections,​​ the​​ boys ​​team​​ has​​ been​​ tapering​​ off​​ of​​ excessive​​ distance ​​runs and​​ started focusing​​ more​​ on​​ speed​​ and​​ stamina.​​ The​​ distances​​ may​​ not​​ be​​ as​​ intense as​​ in​​ the height​​ of​​ the​​ season,​​ but​​ the​​ team​​ isn’t​​ slacking​​ by​​ any​​ means.​​ “The​​ day​​ before​​ [sections]​​ we [did] meet ​​prep. ​​​​That ​​involves more​​ focusing​​ on​​ the​​ upcoming​​ race ​​instead​​ of​​ that​​ days ​​run”, added Martin. Meet​​ preparation ​​includes​​ a​​ shorter​​ run​​ of​​ two​​ or​​ three ​​miles​​ on​​ average,​​ and​​ visualization​​ of the ​​upcoming​​ course.

As​​ for​​ the ​​girls​​ section​​ race,​​ Bailey​​ Jacoby​​ stated​​ that​​ seniors​​ Abby​​ Barger ​​and​​ Michelle​​ Passe are ​​the​​ ones ​​to​​ watch​​ at​​ the​​ head ​​of​​ the​​ pack.​​ “Abby​​ has​​ been​​ on​​ the​​ team​​ since​​ freshman​​ year and​​ is​​ a captain​​ and ​​Michelle ​​is​​ just​​ amazing.​​ Those​​ are ​​the​​ girls​​ we’ll​​ be​​ expecting​​ at​​ the​​ front for​​ Eagan.​​ We’ll​​ be​​ cheering​​ just​​ as​​ loud​​ for​​ everyone​​ though.”

Good luck to all those competing at sections!