On the 24th of September, the Edina Girls’ Cross Country team competed at the Roy Griak Invitational, a 5K race at the University of Minnesota, where they placed seventh out of 45 national teams. The team has amassed an impressive reputation over the years by traveling to invite-only meets and placing first within the state and on national levels. Unfortunately, this was put on hold as COVID-19 halted many of their races in 2020. Although some events still took place last year, this season’s runners have been given a more typical year with fewer COVID restrictions. The team placed first at their Applejack race and recently traveled to Iowa to compete, where they placed second. 

The Friday Griak race was highly anticipated by the team. “It’s one of the races where people from all over the state come, and it’s a varsity-only race. And for me, it’s one of the first big races this season, so it’s pretty important,” sophomore Catherine Sit said. The rest of the team similarly voiced their enthusiasm. “It’s exciting to see where we fit in among a national field, and it’s a great indicator of what our post-season competition will look like,” team captain Macy Iyer said. 

The girls supported each other with words of encouragement, despite their anxious sentiments. “My goal for the team is for everyone to try their best, and it’s always okay if you have a bad day or a good day,” freshmen Evie Ungerman said. The rest of the team seemed to agree. “I think everyone just wants to work hard and make it to state, which is really awesome,” Sit said. Their mutual support and dedication to the team have created an extremely motivated and uplifting group. 

In addition to their impressive overall score, individual scores similarly made the team distinct, such as Macy Iyer’s 31st out of around 400 other runners in her division. The girls were proud of their results, and are excited to keep working hard and continue their efforts. “We went into the season ranked first in the state, and our goal is to maintain that and earn a third straight state title,” Iyer said.