Junior Catherine Richardson answered a few questions about running cross country at Legacy High School. She also mentioned something the cross country team does that nobody knows about.
Q: How long have you been running?
A: I’ve been running for as long as I can remember. To be specific, the idea occurred to me in kindergarten when my friend won a trophy in a fun run. It caught my attention immediately. I was now determined to get a trophy that next fun run. Sure enough to that next year, I came in first place. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a runner.
Q: So why so dedicated to running?
A: There are great rewards that come out of it, mentally and physically. It keeps your health in check and the team has grown a great bond that can’t be replaced. Everyone goes through the struggles together.
What’s the best thing about running cross country?
A: Meets. It’s such a great atmosphere to be in. Everyone is really supportive no matter if you do well or bad. Everyone is still there to cheer you on because you’ve done what some people can’t do. You also get to meet a lot of new friends from different schools that share the same passion for running as you. It’s all just a awesome experience.
Q: What’s the worst thing about running cross country?
A: Injuries, though I do run when I’m injured. I don’t like like resting. A day of rest is another day behind. I run till I literally can’t any longer. I always have to be doing something.
Q: So what’s one thing that the cross country team does that we don’t know about?
A: Well, we have a flamingo spirit stick. It has many different names. The tradition started my freshman year of high school. We usually have a year scavenger hunt with the team all around Mansfield, and Coach Beckler usually gives us a list of things to find around the city. Well running past a ditch, one of our team captains, River Huffhines, found the flamingo and brought it back back with him to show us what he had found. Coach thought it was a great idea to keep it as a spirit stick for the team. Now at the end of every week, she picks one runner that has either improved their running skills or has been the most spirited runner on the team. Whoever gets the flamingo that week get to add a cool accessory to the flamingo.
