On Thursday, September 23rd, the MVAOCOU Rams hosted their one and only home cross country meet of the year. Mr. Gill and senior Hannah O’Connell explained that the home meet is always a team favorite because of the extra support, home course advantage, and the feeling they get when they are successful in front of their fans. Thursday’s meet felt extra special for the Rams cross country team as they had their best finish of the year.
The girls team had a season low in points, sitting them third in the conference. They are currently only two points behind Lawton Bronson and 28 behind KPWC. The boys team finished third which is the best they have placed so far this season. They not only beat West Monona for the first time this year but they also came out on top above any other conference team present at the meet.
Along with impressive team accomplishments, there were also a number of personal bests on Thursday. O’Connell not only placed third, which is the highest she has ever placed, but she also ran the best time of her entire cross country career. When asked how she felt as she was finishing the race, O’Connell said she felt incredibly proud of herself. Hearing all of the cheers from her coaches, parents, and fans just gave her more drive to finish strong. Freshman Kael Hamann and sophomore Justin Dorale also had a successful home meet. Hamann tied his personal best and placed sixth overall for the third time this season. Dorale placed 11th and medaled for the first time this season.
The Rams have a few meets left in the season and then will compete at the conference tournament on Saturday, October 16th. Congratulations again to Hannah, Kael, Justin, and both the girls and boys teams! And best of luck as you finish out the last half of the season strong!