For cross country, postseason is around the corner, it's Halloween, breast cancer month, and a lot is going on at show-time, go-time, but they still appeared locked in Saturday morning at the AT&T Starr's Mill Panther Cross Country Invitational, as they turned in way less-than-scary late October results.
 
Coach Meg Mavity's troops entered in two races – one boys, and one girls – 23 teams were entered, the weather was a crisp,cool, slightly windy fall morning, and a major highlight was junior Harris Bradford, who finished FIRST overall among over 200 runners.
 
"I didn't really feel that I opened up," he said. "Still, it's a little different when you're in the lead – when there's nobody in front of you to gauge off of and nobody beside you."
 
Still, a good problem to have, as our junior leader broke the 3.1-mile tape in 16 minutes, 53 seconds – and he had more good news behind him, with Gavin Miles continuing his consistent improvement, this time with an 18:15. Daniel Hill – only a freshman – ran a personal record 18:35, Henry Wood ran an all-time P.R. with a 19:42, and Tommy Smith rounded out the top five with a seasonal best 19:51.
 
Six more were in the race; Gavin Campos also set his career best with a 20:55, Lucas Chong ran well right behind him, Fernando Notario, JR. ran his best ever, and Beckett Culbertson, Brent Warbington, and Chase Warmington closed the successful parenthesis to round out our Bears.
 
For the girls, their lineup was a skeleton crew with sickness and soccer, but they also pulled together as they continue to do. Romina Khademi was our first girl across, the next five in order included Edie Coil (first race back after recovering from injury), Cate Wassenaar, Blair Huber, Olivia Sharper, and Grace Leonard.
 
A Blair Huber comment upon crossing the finish line: "That's the fastest I've ever run in my whole life!"
 
Which is what all cross country runners want to hear, especially now with regular season gone and postseason approaching. Another comment or two before the Sectional starting guns go off, however.
 
This race, just three days after our boys carried our injured Ethan Ganucheau across the finish line in solidarity on Senior Night, featured almost half of the rest of the team who made the EARLY MORNING trip just to watch and cheer.
 
"I'm going with Brooke Benedict and Caroline Davis as our 'cheerleaders of the day,'" one of the coaches said. For the record, and I was keeping them, there were 10 total that came in ripping, representing and roaring for our Running Bears.
 
And for the finish line: The Sectionals are next Saturday at Wesleyan in a 24-team event. The top 12 go to state, where they will join the top 12 from the other Sectional to form the 24-team state event, again held in Carrollton. If all goes well, the Bears are slated for a Friday, Nov. 7^th morning race for both squads to close out the year. 
 
As for some history, the boys have advanced as a team since 2012, the girls since 2013 in a run that has seen one state championship for the girls, several second-place finishes for both, enough trips to the podium to wear out a path, and an individual state champ on both the girls' and the boys' side. 
 
Let's. Go. Bears!