It was early morning, as seventh-grader Adrienne Harris began to get ready for varsity. Showing their support, everyone on the boy’s cross country team cheered them on, along with the parents and coaches who were excited to see them start their season strong. Boom!

     The gunshot fired. 

     “BOOM.” 

     As Harris began to run the race, which had many hills, she saw how every girl worked hard and pushed themselves to be their best. 

     “It’s exhausting at points but when I finished, it made me feel powerful.”

     Harris’s love for running came from her brother and sister. 

     “They ran for a few years before I decided to give it a try.” 

      In fourth grade, Harris noticed all her friends ran and the practices seemed very fun and exciting. Now, Harris trains both on and off-season. 

     According to her sister, Alyssa Harris, Harris’s dedication was very noticeable. 

     “She handled the pressure well in seventh-grade and stepped up and took one for the team.”

     Cross Country Coach Brian Alessandro agreed with Harris’s sister’s statement.

     “She now has a lot of experience with running varsity, and she is committed to running. She is a good competitor and doesn’t want anyone to beat her.”

     Harris claimed that her love for running all started when her older brother and sister started running.

     Harris’ motivation was also a recognizable trait, according to one of her teammates, Junior Ruby Smith. 

     “She is super hardworking and determined to do her best not just for herself, but for the team.”

     Alessandro and Smith both agree on how she is funny and knows how to make hard days better by staying positive.

     Harris has a very strong mindset during races because she knows what she needs to do to lead her team to first place.

     Harris runs next on October 9 at Idlewild Park.