The cross-country team is headed to Wisconsin Rapids for the chance to win the state championship. Both the boys and girls won sectionals last week, qualifying them to go to state.
“We’ve been pretending to be the blue angels working in unison – separate planes, but working together as one,” Coach Cassidy McGowan explained.
Both the boys and girls will be running for D2 at state, which differs from last year, as they ran D1. This might seem like a downgrade, but that is not the case.
Being in D2 makes the competition more fair for a smaller school like Notre Dame and offers a better shot at placing.
“For the most part, we have had a successful season,” said Coach McGowan. Although the team was hit with quite a few injuries, they persevered.
On Friday, October 31, the team will leave school after a Mass service and breakfast together. When the buses arrive, they will spend the night in Wisconsin Rapids until their races the next morning.
The competition site is located at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
“This is probably going to be the last year State is held there,” McGowan said.
The boys will race at 12:35 p.m. and the girls at 2:25 p.m. The 5000-meter (3.1-mile) course they run has first responders sprinkled throughout to help with any emergencies.
After the races, awards will take place for boys at 3:55 p.m. and for girls at 4:25 p.m.
“Our goal is to make it on the podium, which are the top two teams,” Coach McGowan explained.
The team has seen a lot of improvement throughout the season and is hopeful for a positive turnout at State.
Anna Miller and Eli Weiss are the team’s top runners.
“Hopefully they’ll be scoring in the single digits,” McGowan said.
Tickets to spectate the runners are on sale now and can only be purchased online on the GoFan app. There is no cash entry either, so purchase your tickets sooner rather than later.
Be sure to wish all the runners luck as they travel to Wisconsin Rapids this week, and any additional information is linked on the Notre Dame Cross Country Website.
