Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2009, Page 45

Description:	eanraThe faster;the fasteroure done.Left: Raisingtheir hands, andvoices, the team getspumped up and inthe zone before arace, photo BYELIZABETH STEINMETZThe underclassmen of the girls cross country team demonstrated theirability by leading the Panthers to a successful season.The faster you run, the faster youredone. This was the catchy rhyme thatkept Bloomington Souths girls crosscountry team running with their shoestied tight and their heads held high allthe way to state.However, the race to state came witha price. That price was in the form ofinexperienced youth, cruel weather,and constant practices that kept theteam busy for the summer. Over thesummer, they practiced in Blooming-tons harsh and humid weather everyweekday at 7 a.m. We ran in some 98degree weather, sophomore BrookeBierhaus said. Some really hot dayswe didnt want to run, but we toughedit out most of the time.Every hard practice, wed go inthinking it would be awful; and it waspretty bad while we were running. Butwhen we were done, we felt accomplished and ready to do it again, saidsophomore Taylor Wheeler. During these difficult practices, the girlsheld conversations to help pass thetime and distract them from their run.Runs would go by quickly when weall talked, Wheeler said.Difficult practices and extreme heatwere not the only obstacles the girlsencountered: the inexperience of theirvarsity team was another unique hindrance. At meets, the other teamsthere were older and more experienced. It was cool to be there and dowell as a young team, said freshmanAlexandra Hetrick.The experience of high school crosscountry was new to Hetrick. Lookingback, Jackson Creek [Middle School]was a lot different, Hetrick said, Middle school was a lot easier; its moreserious in high school. However,her transition from running in middleschool to competing in high schoolwas made easier by her helpful olderteammates, including junior CarlyDerheimer. Derheimer managed toact as the mom of the team duringmeets.We had a younger team, so we werea little crazy sometimes, Bierhaus said.[Carly] always gave us a pep talk before meets.I would prepare the team with statsand things before a race to make sureeveryone was ready, Derheimer said.Derheimer and the rest of the teamsefforts to unite themselves and worktogether were successful, as was theirseason.It was a successful season, saidDerheimer, We bonded really well asa team and our practices were good.It certainly was a good year for theirteam. The girls managed to win sectionals, regionals, semi-state, and advancedall the way to state. -RACHELJOSEPHgirlscross country \| SPORTS \| 45
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/8067
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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