“I  could feel the adrenaline rush in my muscles and the butterflies in my stomach when we were running to the startline, and I knew right then that it was going to be an awesome race,” shared Cross Country captain, Allie Reichert after the first meet.

Cross country season took off with an exceptional victory for their first race on this past Saturday evening, September 8.  AHN participated in Jesuit’s tri-school meet against Berkeky and Tampa Prep.

A rugged terrain awaited the competitors as they prepared to run three laps around the asphalt track, followed by two laps around the picturesque Jesuit campus. Junior Varsity girls kicked off the evening, beginning the race at 5:30 pm. AHN competitors included junior Carly Stagg, sophomores Kelly Lambert and Maddie Babin, and freshman Grayson Garay.

Following the Boys JV race,  Academy’s Varsity team, including freshmen McKezie Miller, Jaime Jurado and Lindsay Boos, sophomores Colleen Doherty, Carmelle Kuizon,and juniors Allie Reichert, Natalie Hahn, Becca Patterson, Claire Snyder, and Gini Barreda, braced themselves for the first competition of the season. The teammates followed their normal pre-race ritual, which always concludes with a prayer.  Huddled close together, the girls excitedly chanted the team cheer before making their way to the starting line.

Throughout the entire meet, friends and family showed support for AHN’s team by loudly cheering on the sidelines.  At the conclusion of the competition, AHN dominated the tri-meet, followed by Berkely and Tampa Catholic.  AHN runners Claire Snyder, Colleen Doherty and Natalie Hahn clinched the first, second, and third places.

The victory left the girls with a reassuring sense of accomplishment.  The team now feels fully prepared to tackle the next challenge with an upcoming meet this Saturday, September 15, at Al Lopez Park.

Congratulations to the team for an incredible start!