Whether you are the super-athletic type, or if you just enjoy running, Cross Country may be the sport for you. The Cross Country team accepts everyone, whether you’ve been running since before you could walk or you only run when you’ve overslept and have to make sure you’re not late for class *again*.

The Cross Country team, coached by Coach Hall, will begin practice on August 17. Each runner races in a 5k run and is scored individually, with the first place finisher getting one point, second two points, etc. Then, the points are added to together to give the team an overall score. The top 20 runners of each race are awarded usually with a shirt instead of trophies, something Coach Hall likes because she believes it to be more practical and you can wear it anywhere and anytime to show off. She also said that while trophies may look nice, they just collect dust, and “I wanna dust [the other teams], I don’t wanna dust the trophies.”

The team does not have a maximum amount of members, though only seven runners go to each meet and only the top five are scored. It is because of the distance and intensity of the race that the team practices Monday through Thursday by running in downtown Columbus, at Lake Lowndes and occasionally at the Riverwalk.

This may sound like a lot of exercise, but that is a good thing according to Coach Hall. She stressed the importance of exercise, from aerobics to weight training, stating, “If you’re this small now, imagine when you turn 60. You’ll be fragile as water, can’t even lift the groceries from your trunk.”

Running and exercise can have a lot of benefits, such as reducing stress and anxiety (both things you’re practically guaranteed to have if you attend MSMS) as well as depression, and they can help increase brain power and overall health. The Cross Country team will have its first meet on September 24 in Amory, a meet the girls won last year.

Coach Hall suggests that anyone who can should come out and support the team.

Whether you join the team, Coach Hall encourages everyone to exercise: “If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. As long as you keep moving forward.”