As the cross country season comes to a close, a select group of runners from WJ chose to travel to Nike Cross Regionals (NXR) in Cary, NC, to run one more meet to wrap up the season on Nov. 23. However, this exciting tradition is more unique than a regular local meet. The team organized the travel logistics themselves rather than through the school. This is something that takes huge independence and tremendous love for the sport.
The picturesque course is a beautiful course, a fitting place to put an end to the cross-country season.
“I think no matter what time you’re looking for, I think people should do it (go to NXR). It is far away, but it’s a really nice course, and you can get a really big PR,” senior Sam Alesci said.
For senior Jonah Daniel, it was the last cross-country season of his high school career. Ending it with NXR was an unforgettable experience that enlightened him on his and his team’s skills and capabilities for the rest of their careers.
“I’m very happy I went, I dropped off a lot of time for my 5K, but I also learned a lot about how I race and just how much I’ve improved. And I’ve truly got to see that come to a nice conclusion,” Daniel said. “I also see a great future for our team. We’ve got some great freshmen on this team, and I look forward to seeing what we can do in years to come.”
In addition to boosting PRs and bringing athletes the feel-good factor, the meet is also an ongoing tradition that bonds WJ cross country for life.
For Alesci, the unique aspect of the long, five-hour road trip was what differentiated it from regular local meets.
“The road trip with my friends and being able to spend time with them was the most fun part,” Alesci said.
For other athletes like junior Lily Bienfang, it was the unique opportunity of being able to hang out and sleep in a hotel room with teammates who have become some of her closest friends.
“My favorite part was being able to spend unique time with my teammates while bonding and making jokes in the hotel while also going shopping and out to dinner Friday night,” Bienfang said.
Overall, there was a lot of success within the Cats, including the team placing 18th out of 40 teams and senior runner Megan Raue finishing 6th in the open invitational.
