SPORTS

Cross Country Season Ends by Making School History

Kate Morris and Cassidy Parra • November 14, 2024

After the match, junior Molly Garrison competes at the Cross Country meet Friday Oct. 11.

As is Aledo tradition, the cross country team ended the 2024-2025 season at state championship where the boys places 12th overall at the Round Rock meet Nov. 1–2.

“There’s a lot of pressure; it really goes away when you start running,” sophomore cross-country runner Reed Murray said. “I make sure I have hydration, good food, lots of sleep, and make sure my spikes are ready.”

On Sept. 7, 2024, Murray improved his personal best on the 5,000 meters at 17:57.1 whereas on Aug. 26, 2023, he had a time of 18:17.0.

“It was amazing to see us get to state and watch my teammates especially,” senior cross-country runner Luke Schabel said. “We had our sophomore Tyler [Connally], and he ran. He skipped a whole minute off his time, it was insane to watch that and hang out with the boys for the season.”

The boys team placed first at district Oct. 16, and that energized the team to carry on, Connally said.

“I learned that even though there’s a lot of work you have to put in with the team to accomplish a lot of stuff, you have to put a lot of work on your own, too,” Connolly said. “My coach told me, that everybody out there is like no one out is better than you. So, when I was running against people, instead of just staying with them, thinking theyŕe all the better than me, I would pass them and know that I’m just as good as anybody out there.”

They then went on to place third overall at regionals Oct. 23, 2024, Schabel said he was proud of his team this year and said “to even get on the podium was a big deal” and the boy’s cross-country team had never done that before.

“At state this past season, we had a group prayer at the start line that was very memorable,” senior Jack Fink said. “When you cross the finish line, you feel exhilaration. It was happiness and excitement.”