The girls Cross country season began with the team’s first meet at the Polo Fields on Saturday August 24. Josie Howard, one of the four captains of the team, and coach Anna Guseilo give their insight on the current season. Below is an interview containing thoughts about the team with Guseilo.
Q: What are your hopes and goals for this season?
A: Well, I hope we all improve throughout the season as a team. We’ve had a really strong start and at our first invitational everyone raced really well. The ultimate goal for the season is to qualify for the state meet as a team.
Q: What would you like to improve on this season?
A: I would like to improve the time gap between our first and fifth runner or first and seventh runner. The more we can run together and the closer we are to finishing together, the more successful we will be.
Q: What do you do in preparation for a meet?
A: We practice by doing two workouts a week on Mondays and Wednesdays, and we try to simulate race conditions, like practicing starting and finishing faster.
Q: How do you motivate your team?
A: I try to motivate them by having them recognize that what they do is very difficult, and they do a very nice job of it. I think they should always be proud of themselves for what they are able to accomplish because distance running is not easy.
Q: How do runners train outside of cross country season?
A: Cross country runners run year round, which means in late November after cross country season, they start indoor track which goes into outdoor track in the spring, and then we meet all summer. So essentially, it’s 365 days of running.
Q: What is something most people don’t know about cross country?
A: Most people don’t realize that there’s a team aspect of cross country. While the individual performances are important, the teams that are successful have the top five to seven finishers, so there is a lot more team aspect.
Howard gives her insight in the video below.
Come support the Solon Lady Comets on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Strongsville Invitational. Go Comets!
