Warriors aim to drop individual times

The WACO cross-country runners competed at the Mt. Pleasant Invite on Tuesday, led by Cheyenne Sedlacek on the girls? side and Mitchell Shaffer for the boys. The Warriors are focused on improving individual times in their first season back as a cross-country team.

Sedlacek led the Warriors with a 37th-place finish in a time of 19:24 at Mt. Pleasant, followed closely by Jennie Greene, 38th, 19:30. Michaela Shaffer took 62nd in 23:05.

?It wasn?t one of my favorite meets,? Greene said. ?Running up and down the terraces is not very fun ? it?s a tough course.?

On the boys? side, WACO was led by Mitchell Shaffer, who took 59th overall with a time of 20:33.

Dillon Douglas was 75th in 23:25, and Trevor Lynn was right behind him ? Lynn finished in 76th with a time of 23:28.

The WACO teams did not have a team score; it takes five runners to score as a team, and WACO has just three boys and three girls.

Last year, the Warriors didn?t have a team at all ? WACO athletes interested in cross-country ran for Washington. Greene was among them.

?It was fun running for Washington ? I got to meet new kids and a new coach, and run for a bigger team ? when I run for a team, I?m running for everyone, not just myself,? she said. ?But I?m much more comfortable wearing my own jersey, running for my own school.?

Without a team score to run for, the WACO athletes focus on their own times, and improving in every meet.

?(My goal for the season) is to do a lot better than past years,? Greene said. ?I don?t think I?ve been as strong as I could be. This year, my times have gone down, and I?m really happy.?

Next up for the Warriors is the Fairfield Invite on Saturday.