Fresh Faces Bring New Life to Girl's Cross Country

A fresh face on the sidelines and some new legs in the race will hopefully prove to be a winning combination this year for the DHS girl's cross country team. 

psychologist Liz Vail coaching duties from veteran coach Jim Walker, and has brought a whole new approach to getting her girls in shape for the upcoming season and beyond.

“We are going to do a whole lot of things that help build running and keep them motivated, but are not running itself,” Vail said. “We are going to take trips to Whole Foods to learn about nutrition, incorporate yoga, and keep running journals. ”

Only five of the 12 members of the team are returning runners.

“During the two meetings I held in the spring, I advertised it as being fun,” Vail said.  “Usually running is a punishment for the other teams, but it’s what we do all the time.”

Coming off a season without a win last year, Vail said she hopes to eventually reach that point, but in the meantime is focused on small, achievable goals such as having runners beat a personal record.

“Our biggest challenge will be to gain confidence when competing against teams with way bigger numbers,” according to senior Sabrina Fahy. “But with a lot of practice and commitment we should be able to do it.”

Several of the members of the team said while they were looking forward to the season, they also had an eye on the winter and spring seasons as well.

Senior Brooke Sheehan is spending her first season on the team. A former field hockey player, she said she enjoys running more and hopes running cross country during the fall will keep her in better shape for the seasons ahead. 

“I think the biggest challenge will be to get them to love running, which is a tough thing to get high school girls, or any high schooler, to do,” Vail, who has run several marathons, said. “My ultimate goal is just to make them as passionate about running as I am, and have them carry it on through college and beyond.”

Check out to catch a meet.