Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} They’re going the distance. I’m talking about Freedom’s cross country team whoruns their cross country races at Brush Creek Park. The cross countryteam, led by Ed Shepard (Shep) and Steve Tinker (Tink), is full of promise forthis year as well as coming years. Shep and Tink are dedicated to thesuccess of their team, getting up early in the morning throughout the summer torun with the team. The team is led by four seniors: Devin Sauers, Andrew Murray, Erika Barlow, andJulia Kubica. Kubica, a state qualifier last fall, is dedicated to improvingher endurance and placing better than she did last season. While otherstudent athletes were out swimming in pools, Kubica was out running. Thissummer she ran over 216 miles. Her goal this season is to break Freedom’sgirls’ cross country record and she has a legitimate shot with her combinationof talent and good work ethic. Sauers is also a vital member to the cross country team. He has been a letterwinner since he was a freshman. He uses cross country to stay in running shapefor track season because he plans to run track in college. Along with Kubica, Sauers and the other upperclassmen leaders, two freshmenboys are making a splash early in the season. Freshmen Jake Deweese and WesRoberts have been battling it out for the top runner on the boys’ team. Deweeseand Roberts push each other every meet and bring out the best in each other. Like most of the other sports at Freedom, cross country is growing in numberand should be more than an individual sport this season. Last season the boysdidn’t have enough runners to fill a team, but this year, with the growinginterest, they could compete this season. This girls’ team will continue to becompetitive, even with a loss of six runners to graduation last year. Both teams will run for success through the wilderness, and continue toimprove.