The girls who run cross country for Oak Park work hard for their success. Practices begin before school even starts. This year, the hard work paid off.

“The girls’ season went great, we all became good friends, like family,” junior Lucy Cunningham said.

Cunningham has been running for many years, and has been the school’s track and cross-country teams for every year of her high school career so far. She also participates in swim and dive. These sports go ahnd-in-hand and keep Cunningham conditioned throughout the entire school year. From last season to this season, the team has become more bonded and more successful.

“I worked a little harder than I did last year, and I spent more time socializing than I did last year,” Cunningham said.

One of the team’s favorite activities is to eat pasta dinners. It’s a great way to fuel for running and to bond as a team.

The team would love for more people to join.  Research done at Harvard college shows that running is one of the most beneficial exercises, even with how simple it is to perform. If you are interested in running cross country, get into contact with Coach Gegan or any cross-country members.

“Cross Country people are all really nice and welcoming, and always accepting new members, whether you’re a freshman or a senior. The more people we have the better,” Cunningham said.