By Meghan McKellick

Poland Regional High School

Running for fun? What a ludicrous idea! That’s how we normal folk feel; however, the Poland Knights Cross-Country team begs to differ, for the most part. The team, consisting of 22 kids, 16 boys and six girls, may not always come in first, but they always have fun getting there.

This year for cross-country was expected to be a trying one, especially since one of the team’s best runners, TJ Niles, graduated last year. Also, the size of our school increased; therefore, we were bumped from a class C team, to a class B team. Throughout the course of the season, the kids ran hard, and even though they didn’t make it to the State Championships, they have a lot to be proud of. The final record for the team was: girls 3-13, and the boys 10-6. Overall, PRHS has a really strong team. On a good day, the top seven boys ran within 30-seconds of each other, which is really good when determining your overall score. That’s what we like to call “pack times.” There’s a little cross-country lingo for you folk. Also, at every race, someone, if not everyone, had improved upon their last meet’s time.

Cross-country is made up of more than just running. Whether they’re pushing another team’s bus out of the mud, or dubbing a new teammate as the designated “slacker” of the meet, these crazy cats are always having fun. I suppose humor is the only way one can cope with the depressing thought of running through the woods in 10-degree weather wearing nothing but nylon shorts and tank tops.

As you all may know, it has become a custom at Poland Regional High School that every sports team plays against a team of faculty members, just for fun, of course. Up until recently, the faculty team has had an undefeated streak -up until they ran against the cross-country team that is. It was a day to remember.

The faculty team consisted of Mr. Derek Pierce, Mr. Ken Chutchian, Mr. Larry Williams, Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Mr. Kevin Murray, Ms. Angela Atkinson-Duina, Mrs. Olga Bushey, Mrs. Johnna Mulligan, Mrs. Sue Briggs and Ms. Angie Taylor. One would think that since the faculty team had less members, that they would have more of an advantage. Um, well, one would have thought wrong. The race started without Mr. Murray, Mr. Pierce or Mrs. Bushey. Mr. Murray came in after everyone else had gone about 1/8 of a mile, and Mr. Pierce and Mrs. Bushey came in at the 1/2 mile mark! Surprisingly enough, they still lost. If you want to be technical, the women faculty just barely beat the girls, but the guys most definitely beat the male faculty. And, of course with combined scores, the cross-country team beat the faculty by a long shot.

Senior Kevin Mitchell, who was captain of the team this year, had the following to say about his team and his four-year experience as a runner. “Our season unfortunately ended sooner than we had hoped, but there are no regrets. It was very rewarding to watch each individual grow throughout the season. The team has been a big part of my life for the past four years, and I can’t be any happier knowing where the team is heading. There are many young leaders on the team dedicated and committed to the sport.” Mitchell ended with some relevant advice: “Keep running the distance,” he said.

After all is said and done, the team stuck it through until the end. Coach Ray Lafreniere had a few words to say about his team, “We faced a number of injuries and personal setbacks. However we pulled together well, especially during the homecoming meet (We won with a score of 19!) and the faculty race. It was a disappointment that we didn’t make it to states, but I know that they’ll do their best and try just as hard again next year.” Well said coach, well said.