Taken by Elisia Salvadalena
Cindy Liang
Many people don’t think of cross country as a team sport, but that could not be further from the truth. Running with others is the essence of cross country. “Being on a team, it doesn’t make me feel so alone,” senior and team captain Piper Welch said.
In cross country, teams are scored on the places of their first five finishers. Despite this, having a team mindset is crucial, according to head coach Jennifer Bolibol. “I think the thing that I love and I want to inspire my team to fill is like this family dynamic. I feel like when friendships are made and when your team is tight and depend on each other is when that transfers into racing. And once you get trust, then you can step that up to pushing…each other into uncomfortable areas of racing.”
Echoing Bolibol, Welch says, “When I run with people, there’s Woodinville all around me. It might not seem like it, but you work together and you see people ahead of you and it motivates you to go faster, to catch up with people you know.” She added, “It helps to know that there are people out there, if you do fail, will bring you back up from failure, but you also need to learn how to bring yourself back up from failure, which is more important.”
Even after struggling with injuries this season, Welch shows tremendous dedication for running. At the Hole in the Wall Invitational, she placed first in the JV Silver Race and almost a full minute ahead of the second-place runner. “I’m out here running, I’m here exercising for myself,” she said simply.
Worsening AQI scores have disrupted regular practices and meets. Practices run rain or shine, but this season was especially frustrating because of the unhealthy air quality.
Last Friday, the weather turned, dramatically improving the AQI. During the KingCo Championships that same day, Falcons ran through rain and mud to qualify for Districts. Piper Welch, Kaitlyn Farrow, Oliver Campbell, Jackson Green, Max Mizono, Austin Koole, Torsten Dahlke, Thomas Cooper, and Camden Kauffman will represent Woodinville in the District Championships on October 29.
“Running sucks,” Welch confesses. “Everyone hates running. It’s a love-hate relationship.”
“Cross country hurts,” Bolibol says. “I’ve played [other sports], and it’s not the same level of intense pain.” She added that all cross country teams cheer on and encourage each other because they know what each runner is going through.
In the long run, though, it doesn’t matter how painful cross country is. “It’s the memories you build within an experience,” reflected Bolibol. “I want everyone to have that chance, to have that.”