The sun had barely risen over the frosty grass on Oct. 25 when the Highlands cross country team laced up their spikes and prepared to run for more than just medals. Regionals, the race that decides which team advances to state, isn’t just another meet. It’s the culmination of months filled with early mornings, late practices, and endlessly creative workouts. That morning, the cross country team proved their hard work had paid off.
For the first time in two years, the girls qualified for the state championship, finishing third overall. The achievement was especially meaningful since the team moved up to Class 3A two years ago, a division known for its larger schools and tougher competition. Despite this challenge, the birds remained a tight-knit and consistent group, with nearly the same lineup since the move. The team was prepared this year in a way they hadn’t been before, and it showed.
“We feel confident going into this meet. We have a lot of good runners who have been training all season for this, we’re just going to show what we got and what we’ve been working towards,” Jacob Gubster (12) said.
Leading the pack was Liza Zengel (12), who ran a personal record (PR) of 19 minutes and 43 seconds, a good 17 seconds faster than her previous time at that same course last week. Zengel’s incredible performance, combined with the girls’ team’s ability to run as a pack, set them apart from the competition enough to secure a long-awaited return to the state meet.
Following Zengel was Ella Taylor (11), Sydney Houlihan (12), Georgia Zengel (10), Sophie Taylor (11), Mirabelle Go (10), and Marlowe Heiert (10), all ran spectacularly, securing places at state. The girls were ecstatic, even more so since they didn’t make it last year. This overall motivated them and, in return, got them where they wanted and where they deserved to be.
“I’m proud of us because we worked so hard and we really put a lot into even making it to state because we didn’t make it last year, so we’re happy to even get the opportunity to make it to state,” Taylor (11) said.
While the Highlands boys’ cross country team fell short of qualifying for state, two leading runners were able to advance as individuals, ensuring Highlands will be represented on both sides during the state meet. Gubser (12) and Ben Gallagher (12) both had strong races, entering themselves into two of the five available spots for individual runners at state.
Moreover, the lady birds crushed regionals and now have an amazing opportunity at state.
“We were really hoping to get first, and we didn’t, but we were really proud of ourselves for qualifying for state, it’s a big improvement,” Go (10) said, “We qualified for state and really solidified our team as a regional competitor and a team to look out for, so we are excited for upcoming seasons.”
Both the girls and boys couldn’t be prouder of themselves. The best is yet to come for these two teams; the team’s future is looking stronger than ever.
