The boys’ cross country season is well underway, with new coach Kai Richter at the helm. With three strong race showings under their belt at Orono Twilight Invitational,  Bauman-Rovn Invitational, and the Ron Griak Invitational, the Bears are currently ranked #2 in the state behind Perham High School. 

     Captain Will Schwemm ‘27 said that what helps him fight through pain during the middle of 5k races is when he tells himself “not to give up” trying to make his thoughts as simple as he can. Zach Barkwell ‘28 takes a different approach when facing tough points in races: “I just think about how far I’ve come and how much effort I’ve put into this sport, and I also look at the person in front of me and how good it’ll feel to pass them.” 

     Captain, Shamore Brinda ‘27 said, “I always think about it like I know it’s gonna be over soon so I just try to push through and do my best.” The boys’ team has a lot of young talent, so the future is bright. Schwemm’s advice for younger up-and-coming runners was “Don’t worry about your time, just do the best you can.” Brinda’s advice is “to stick with it and see how you can evolve over the years because although the sport takes a lot of training, once you stick with it for a while you see results.” Barkwell stated, “It’s important to not take cross country too seriously and to ease your way into it.” He reflected back on some old cross-country memories, like “playing football,” stating that “it’s very important to have fun throughout the whole process.”

      The team took on a larger field of competitors at the Roy Griak Invitational at the U of M Bolstad golf course Saturday, Sept. 20. The Griak Invitational pulled from the top schools all across the state in addition to 11 other states’ best schools. They placed 23rd out of 45 teams in wet and muddy conditions on a very hilly course, with Schwemm leading the charge in a time of 17:05. The season conference races are at Battle Creek on 10/9.