On September 26, the Reedy Cross Country team competed at the Lucas Lovejoy Fall Festival in Mckinney, Texas for a chance to win medals and place overall.

Every morning the team is at school for practice as early as 6:30 a.m., and although it may be grueling and tiresome, their hard work has paid off.

“Five of the girls, including myself, have medaled in the past two weeks,” Sophomore Haley Heavener said. “Also, our varsity team won second overall at the Lovejoy meet!”

Although the team started out poorly, they have made major improvements since the first meet.

“Almost every runner has hit a personal record time,” cross country coach Trey Smith said. “Since then our team has collectively won three trophies and over a dozen individual medals.”

Nathan Reedy, freshman and grandson of Rick Reedy, placed third at the Lovejoy meet. Although joining cross country wasn’t something he had thought of doing before, he really enjoys it now.

“Coach Smith encouraged me to join the team, so I did,” Reedy said. “Although it is tough to have to get up so early and keep up with my schoolwork, I love to run. I was also able to achieve running under 20 minutes, which has always been a personal goal of mine.”

The team has been working hard to win District and hope to qualify for Regionals and potentially State.

“I think all of us are excited for regionals, and we all really want to make it to state,” Heavener said. “My dad was the one who really got me into running and cross country, and his birthday is on the same day as state, so I’d like to make him proud.”

The team expresses dedication and determination that is not usually found in a newly opened high school.

“Transitioning schools can be tough, especially when it’s forced,” Smith said. “My biggest goal coming into the first year was to ‘win’ over all of our runners and get them excited about being a part of Reedy Lions Cross Country, and overall I feel like I have been able to accomplish this goal.”