The 1997 Cross Country Team entered the season with high hopes. A summer trip to Hocking Hills State Park proved to be a worthwhile experience. We practiced twice a day while building confidence and camaraderie. The season began with a victory at the Lakota Invitational. We managed to defeat rivals Colerain and Lakota, two of the state's top teams. Although we were happy with the win, our performance was under par and we knew that some people would have to step up to help the team over-come the obstacles leading to a state championship.

            The next week Pickerington handed us our first loss. This second place finish dropped the team from the number one ranking in the state and the number twelve ranking in the country. Disappointed with our failure, we bounced back with an unprecedented win at the Malone Invitational. This victory at Malone displayed the team's character and determination to be the best.

            The weeks thereafter had many ups and downs including a third place finish at GCLs as well as an impressive victory at Districts. A third place finish at Regionals advanced us to state, continuing the eleven year streak. Although a disappointing state finish devastated us, the lessons we have learned and the friendships we have made far outweigh the disappointments we have suffered.