As the Varsity Girls Cross Country team approached the halfway point of their season this year, Kent News wanted to shine a spotlight on their accomplishments, as well as detail the team’s plans for the remainder of the season.

Mr. Baird, the Varsity Girls Cross Country team’s coach, offered some insight when asked about the team’s roadmap for the season.  “Our primary goal is that every runner keeps improving from week to week,”  Mr. Baird shared. “Consistent improvement every day is what enables the girls to run the best end of year races they can.”

The team has been hard at work training at both speed training and hill training exercises in order to prepare for their critical final races at the end of the season.  Championship races are notoriously difficult due to their difficult terrain and steep hills, but Kent will be adequately prepared.  

Another skill the Varsity Girls Cross Country team is honing in on this season is “pack running.” “You can’t win a race with just one strong runner,” said Mr. Baird.  “Getting the girls comfortable running in a group is necessary to winning races.”

So far, the team has a 2-0 record in terms of their dual meets, with Kent scoring victories against both Williston as well as Berkshire.  The team also attended the Canterbury Invitational as well as the Richard Miller Invitational at Westminster.  Although the events were not scored, Kent performed well, and these invitationals further established a great first half of the Varsity Girls team’s season.

Looking toward the end of their season, the Kent Varsity Girls Cross Country team’s final and most crucial races are the Founders League and the New England Championship races.  “All of our prior training and races lead up to these,” Mr. Baird said, referring to the team’s direction.  

The co-captains of the Varsity Girls Cross Country team this season are sixth-formers Linnea Saxton and Phoebe Foley.  Mr. Baird credited the co-captains as pillars of leadership within the team, and expressed pride and confidence in the team’s tight bond.  The “strong team dynamic” and the girls’ work ethic make up the glue that holds the team together. “I really like working with this group,” Mr. Baird explained.  “Whether it’s a hard race or a captain’s run, they’re working hard and having fun.”