Dakota Cross Country: The Runners’ Views
The Dakota Girls Cross Country team had a victorious race on Tuesday, September 12th. The team ran against girls from Eisenhower, Grosse Pointe North, Grosse Pointe South, L’anse Creuse North, Romeo, Stevenson, and Utica. The 80 degrees day went against the runners, but they succeeded nonetheless. Dorka Nyary, a foreign exchange student from Hungary, was able to tell the Dakota Planet about her experience on the team.
Dorka has been learning English for only one year. When she was asked to rate Cross Country on a scale of one to ten, she pulled up google translate and gave the team an astounding eight. After such a rough course, the team was relieved she still enjoyed the states. She explained that in Hungary, “We don’t have X.C. at home; we do orienteering. You have to run in the forest with a map and a compass and you have to find the checkpoints.” As much as she likes Cross Country, Dorka said that she prefers orienteering because she thinks it is more fun.
Abby Bartsch supported her team from the sideline and had an honest perspective of not only the course, but the team. She said that the course “looked rough,” and went on to explain, “It was hilly, and it was all dusty, and it was hot.” Even as an injured runner, Abby stays dedicated to her team at meets and practices. When asked to say something about cross to people who are unfamiliar with the team, her answer was a warming one. “You get to see your friends everyday. Those are the people you’re gonna run with and the bond is unbreakable.” The Cross team runs together and invites all to run with them.
Abby Vanslambrook, an injured runner, explained her experiences as well. When asked what it feels like to be in season with an injury. She described it as “frustrating because I’m not doing as good as I was doing last year.” While she is struggling with a knee injury, Abby still has good things to say about the team. She expresses that “my favorite part of cross country is the people, the friends. You have good times at the team dinners. It’s like a second family and all that cheesy stuff.”
Dakota’s Cross Country team is challenging, but it is evidently so much more. Everyone loves and relies on each other, every step of the way. The team was cheerful and proud after the race. Both the girls’ team, the boys’ team, and the coaches welcome all new runners, old runners, slow runners, and fast runners to lace up and join Cross for an amazing experience of fun, laughter, inspiration, and friendship.