Many people may wonder why students decide to run cross country. It may seem like a chore or punishment to some. For junior Alex Gromacki, all of her teammates are the reasons she decided to run.

Thanks to new runners like Gromacki, the women’s cross country team is off to a good start according to Coach Robert Torres. The Baltimore Sun, as of Sept. 24, lists the women’s cross country team as considered for a top ten ranking. Last week, they were ranked number 10. “The win at Knights Invite [Sept. 14]got us ranked in the top ten,” Torres said.

He believes the team is off to a strong start. Torres said that its third place finish at Bull Run on Sept. 24 may have earned it a top 25 ranking on Running Maryland, which covers all teams across Maryland. They are now number 23 on Running Maryland. If the team keeps it up, Torres hopes it will finish second or third at the IAAM championships.

Torres said the team is very young, with all underclassmen composing varsity. “Everyone is improving and we are in the mix for a championship,” Torres said. According to Torres, the top four runners on the varsity team are junior Kristen Kohles, junior Amanda Spaeth, freshman Holly Driver, and junior Alex Gromacki.

Despite the recent victories, the team is still facing troubles. Two of their varsity runners, senior Rebecca Driver and senior Sam Clarke, are injured. “It’s hard watching everyone else one and not being a part of it,” Clarke said. According to Torres, the toughest competition it will challenge is Spalding, St.Mary’s, and McDonough.

The members of the team have high expectations for the year.  “I think we will do well this year because we all work hard in practice,” junior Kristen Kohles said.  Kohles hopes that the team will finish ranked in the top 10. Freshman Ellie Marindin said, “I love meeting all the people on the team and everyone is so nice.”

Junior Amanda Spaeth has been running since freshman year and joined because she looked up to the team. She enjoys running and said, “I like all the experiences I share with the team.” Spaeth believes that with the addition of new, strong runners, the team will be prepared for the IAAM championship meet.

Cole Alban is a Managing Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.