A new club means a new start for some students at Buffalo Island Central, and Cross Country could be that starting point for some of those students. Having a new outlet at school could provide success and opportunities amongst the students . Although Cross Country is a difficult sport, creating new opportunities like this will encourage them to branch out, to be open to new challenges while learning to keep a strong commitment.

BIC is proud to welcome a Cross Country team, and so is the coach, Mrs. Natalie Stricklin. Mrs. Stricklin is the biology teacher for senior high students. Mrs. Stricklin was inspired to start up a Cross Country team because she had coached Cross Country previously and saw how the sport impacted kids. “Seeing students grow up to love the sport, and to love running in general, is great. Even my kids grew up with running and still love it, so I thought it would be great to bring it to the students here”, said Stricklin. She believes that anything is possible for anyone, she hopes that the students that do run will learn to push themselves even when it gets tough, and to know their full potential.

Cross Country has been explained to be a difficult sport. With rough trails and hills that go up and down, it can be challenging for some. One of the runners, Raegan Decker who is a sophomore and in her first year of running with the team, explains that although it may be hard to come to practice and run after a long school day of work and tests, she still finds some enjoyment in the hard work. “It gives me satisfaction to know that I actually crossed the finish line or got to the time limit I needed to”, said Decker. She further explained that this new sport has made her realize the importance of hard work and determination. She is glad that she made the decision to join the team.

It looks like Cross Country has seen a warm welcome here at Buffalo Island Central and the runners hope that the sport becomes a major success and continues to grow. Vickie Snow, another sophomore runner, claims that joining the sport is the best mistake she’s ever made. “It’s really hard. Like, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and at first I regretted it big time, but now I’m glad the sport is around”, says Snow.

It’s not often that BIC is able to add new sports, but the community is open to change. Everyone involved with Cross Country is excited to see what the future holds with the team. The runners hope to see the sport grow, and look forward to future success.