Valkyries Vie for Victory

Running does not come easy. It requires determination, dedication, and hard work to get from one point to the next. Sacred Heart cross country does just that, and after a long season of training, Sacred Heart cross country finally reached triumph.

This past Saturday, Oct. 29, the cross country team raced in the Regional meet in order to quality for State on Saturday, Nov. 5. The top seven Valkyries raced to compete for victory, as only the top four teams continued on to the State Meet.

Junior Kathleen Simms led both the Valkyries and the race itself, placing first with a time of 18:55. Sophomore Meredith Barnes was the second Valkyrie finisher in 8th, with senior Abby Reburn in 10th, sophomore Katie Beckman in 18th, senior Melissa Jones in 21st, junior Maggie Mitchell in 25th, and senior Isabelle Schafer in 30th.

Overall, the Valkyries ended in second place with a score of 58, qualifying the team for the State Meet.

Alongside a strong finish, Sacred Heart also celebrated Senior Day for cross country.

Four-year cross country team member and senior Emily Perrone said, “It’s bittersweet to be finishing out my last year, but I’m happy to have been a part of this team.”

Perrone does not plan on running at a collegiate level, but instead intends to do workouts on her own.

“I’m planning on running with friends at South Carolina,” said Perrone. “I want to try different workouts too and expand my options.”
Both SHA cross country and the SHA seniors have proven successful this season. To stay updated on the cross country team’s performance at State, follow @SHACrossCountry and @sha_sports on Twitter for more information.