The cross country team will compete in the district championship meet on Oct. 11 at North Lakes Park in Denton. Head coach Chance Edwards said it is the most important meet of the year.

“Ultimately, nothing matters before district,” Edwards said. “All our other meets are important, but they’re just preparation for our championship season. We use everything to get [ourselves] there.”

For the teams to advance onto regionals from the district championships, they need to place in the top three. 

“At district, I want low 19-minute runs,” captain Taylor Dowers said. “But the bigger goal is to have our varsity group make it to regionals, so we want to be in the top three.”

Even though the course is in the same place as previous years, some small adjustments have been made to the path. Due to the changes, such as having more shade, the path won’t be completely familiar to previous runners.

“There’s just less people around,” Dowers said. “There’s less people to cheer you on, which is hard. It will be more of a mental [struggle] than years prior.”

The team has been doing some interval work and lighter workouts in preparation for the meet.

“I dial their work back some so their legs are more fresh for the championships,” Edwards said. “That way they can do their best and put in all the effort they’ve got.”

The course will have some gravel, which increases traction and difficulty when running. Dowers said the girls are working hard and that Edwards’ expectations are set reasonably on the district championships.

“[The team] likes the motivation,” Dowers said. “Because he expects us to do [well], we keep that thought in our minds that we are going to do [well].”