The girls’ cross country teams will travel to Lubbock Sept. 19 to compete in the Lubbock Invitational after a powerful display at the Amarillo Invitational Sept. 12.

The Lady Eagles finished second to the Lady Raiders, defending state champions, with a 15 point difference. Girls’ cross country coach Ray Baca has goals for the whole team and individual runners.

“I’d be disappointed if we weren’t on the medal stand at the state meet as a team, because I know we are capable of that,” Baca said. “I would also like to see our kids improve over the course of the season. This is the strongest team we’ve had in three years. Our region is extremely tough this year, but I know we have the tools we need to be successful, and I’m excited for that.”

Junior Marleigh Brown, first-year runner, placed 12^th for the Lady Eagles on the junior varsity team.

“I started running for no other reason than to get in shape,” Brown said. “Then I thought if I’m going to do all this running I might as well have a coach and a team to run with. So I tried it and I ended up loving it.”

Brown said she faced initial individual challenges when she joined the team.

“Cross country is just as much mental as it is physical,” Brown said. “It’s not when your legs start hurting, but when your brain says you can’t go any further. But once you can tell your body you can do it, that’s when you become better.”

Baca and the girls’ cross country team have a mutual respect between them as well as goals they would like to achieve outside of cross country.

“I tell them all the time, what we do in athletics is not even close to the most important thing in the world,” Baca said. “I want them to understand athletics will help them be good at the most important things in life, like responsibility, accountability, determination and the importance of setting goals. I really do love to see them interested and succeed on other things.”

Varsity girls’ results:

4^th– Ayse Allison

7^th– Angel Hayden

9^th– Mallory Shehan

14^th– Kelsee Dudley

18^th– Brantley Bristow