As the cross country season winds down, a bittersweet moment looms for many teams: the graduations of the senior athletes. Those seniors, who have spent countless hours training, competing, and bonding with their teammates, face the reality of leaving behind a team that has become like family. Their departure marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for both the seniors and the team.
For the seniors, graduation is a time of reflection. They take the time and look back on their highschool years, filled with wins and losses. Leaving their teammates is not just about moving on from the sport, it’s about parting ways with a support system that has been with them all through their high school experience. The bonds formed through all the good and bad times of their experience make the goodbye extremely hard.
The graduation of cross country seniors is significant moment for any team. It shows the change and the passage of time, but it also highlights the impact of the relationships formed through the sport. As seniors leave to pursue new adventures, they carry with him the many memories and lessons learned from their time with the team, while their teammates continue to build on the foundation they helped create.
Senior Maddie Phares finishes up her cross country season alongside her teammates Larkin Strong and Breanna Bone. The girls built a bond through the team over the last few years. Maddie ran cross country through all of her years in high school, with many years of running experience prior. Maddie greatly impacted the team; she will be missed by her teammates as she goes on to a new chapter in her life.
