Lights, Run, Action

RVA Relays

Photo by: BJ Beckwith
The Varsity girls join in for a big hug after their race.

As the Midlothian cross country team checked off the third meet of the season from the list, the Trojans can celebrate with joy.  Both the girls and the guys teams went to Pole Green Park to participate in the RVA Relays, the only race in the Richmond area, offered to high school running teams at night.  The RVA Relays began at 3:50 pm and did not end until the varsity girls teams crossed the line at 9:30 pm.  The Trojans came out with a bang and made a statement of what type of team they are.

For many runners on the team, this is their favorite meet of the entire season.  After talking to a 3rd year junior on the team Haley Hopkins, she states,“The intensity that all of the fans and teams had plus running in the dark was the most exciting part of the meet.”  The RVA Relays also include a relay component to the race, ordinary during cross country season.  Running in the pitch dark with only a few lights here and there created an exhilarating experience.  Says Camryn Adams, “It was pretty terrifying, but running from people made the meet even more competitive and exciting.”

With the RVA Relays complete, both boys and girls had outstanding finishes.  The boys varsity finished in 8th place, while the girls varsity finished in 4th.  Both teams represented the Trojans well, showing the hard-working and defining athletes they are.  Senior captain Daisy Hooper commented, “I think it will help us down the road because we learned to run as a team, and we all depended on each other.”

Quite a few meets remain for both the boys and girls cross country teams.  So far, the Trojans have started with a bang, as the teams’ excellent and dedicated runners continue to succeed.  Throughout this cross country season, the Trojans will hopefully remain unstoppable under the excellent coaching styles of Coach Morgan and Coach Benjamin