Bethel Cross country has first season meet

BY NATALIE SONNANSTINE

The Bethel cross country teams had their first meet at the Northwestern Warrior Classic on August 29th. The boys team is led by Coach Mark Clute and assistant coach William Brock. The girls team is led by Coach Kyle Brumbaugh. 

Justin Brinson led the way for the boys on the course, running a time of 17:07.1, followed by Peter Digby with a 18:15.1. Brinson also placed third individually, and Digby placed ninth.  The Girls team placed third overall, just one point behind second. Olivia Brumbaugh led her team with a time of 21:55.6, and placed eighth overall. Natalie Sonnanstine, Asmahan Eljawad, Grace Periano, and Sophia Trussell followed behind Brumbaugh and crossed the finish line together.

Senior Justin Brinson is back on course, looking for another amazing season after a great junior year. Being on the team for some time has allowed Brinson to get a feel for what the cross country team should be like. He says that the boys are seeing “major improvements in the team's work ethic.” Being able to watch the boys team improve their times and train harder than ever is exceptional to see, especially as a senior. Brinson highlights that the team's motivation has changed and that the boys are becoming more focused on the season. He says that motivation is also about “self-improvement and showing consistency for something you care for.” Brinson’s goal this season is to break the 16-minute mark in the 5K and be able to run in college. His motivation and times are amazing, and he is always showing amazing sportsmanship on the course. The meet at Northwestern was an amazing race, especially for Brinson as he came off of a hard week of practice!

Despite the high temperatures and excited energy, Sonnanstine described her race as “calm and steady, she knew what the plan was and executed it.” Sonnanstine is a senior this year, and has been running cross county since seventh grade, so she has a feel of how the races go. Sonnanstine highlighted that the girls team is looking good and “are definitely getting better as a team all round. They are getting faster, and supporting each other more.” Cross Country is a very positive sport, and the athletes are always supporting each other on and off the course. The Bethel girls are becoming a group of girls who not only love running, but love the environment. 

We will watch as the Cross Country teams go to Covington next week and continue the season. We wish them luck and are cheering for them all the way!