Photo by Max Dearinger

During the cross country meet, seniors Elijah Hanlon and Lincoln Wright run on the grass. The Bill Eaton Invitational took place on Sept. 12.

The bumpy trails, harsh environment, the high nerves of over 100 runners before the big race starts. The Bill Eaton Invitational took place on Sept. 12, as the Broncos’ first home cross country meet. 

The Legacy Bronco cross country team placed second out of the 11 teams competing. According to the athletes, they performed great, but it took a while for them to get here.

“We prepared a lot as a team,” junior Ava Duncan said. ”We had early morning practices, recovery and team dinners to strengthen our bond and improve our performance.”

They did a lot of work during the offseason and as the season started. The athletes said some training methods worked more than others.

“Practicing multiple times a day was definitely the biggest reason for our success,” sophomore Riley McCain said. ”Getting that extra work makes all the difference when you’re competing against others who only practice once.”

The boys’ team performed very well, according to the athletes, with McCain placing first in the boys’ 5000-meter run with a time of 15:06.

“It was my first high school win, so having that in my mind now that I can win it all will help me for the rest of the season,” McCain said. 

McCain thinks he performed well, but he knows he can do better. He hopes to push the limits even further for the rest of the season. Now that they have expectations for themselves, the athletes hope to exceed these expectations in the upcoming races.

“I’ll push myself even harder and separate myself from the competition even more,” McCain said. “I want to make it to state.”

According to the athletes, the girls’ team also did well, with two runners, including Duncan, placing in the top five. 

“This top-five finish is a good baseline for the rest of the season,” Duncan said. “I want to break the school record.”