Athletes that love the sport they play are known for going the extra mile to be the best, literally. Several basketball players decided they wanted to up their game and work out with the Cross Country team. Seniors Jenna Sadler, Tayler Diaz, and Tori Martin made the decision to work out with the Cross Country team daily.

“I joined cross country because I wanted to better myself physically and mentally so that I would be a better athlete in every sport that I am a part of,” Sadler said.

Giving up three weeks of summer to wake up at 5 am and running at least four miles and then going and doing more in the afternoon does not sound like the desirable thing to do. Especially when you have never had to partake in anything like this before.

“Two a days were hard. I had never done a lot of mileage in a workout before,” Martin said. “The Cross Country team believed in me and I got through the workouts.”

These three girls are showing a lot of hard work and dedication for their main sport: Basketball. They are running workouts that most people would never be able to finish just to get in shape for basketball season.

“The best thing about cross country is getting close to the runners. They became like a second family and I feel as if they are my children,” Diaz said. “The worst thing is running the workouts because it’s hard to motivate myself to go and run.”

The Cross Country coach, Khera Vay, also coach’s basketball and so she motivated them towards running Cross Country.

“I wanted these girls to be physically ready to come basketball season. Not only physically but mentally as well,” Coach Vay said. “Cross country is all mental and I felt that if they could survive out there that nothing on the basketball court would be to much. I wanted their senior year of basketball to be the best, and for them to understand that there are no limits.”

Having a committed, hard working, and caring coach is every athletes dream. When coach Vay came to the girls with the idea of running cross country, they were on board because they knew she had their best interest in mind.

“She is one of the most dedicated coaches that I have ever had the chance to work with,” Sadler said. “I never thought that I would be able to run cross country but she made it possible. She pushed me and never gave up on me even when I wanted to quit so badly.”

This sport can be very eye opening because it is a very mental sport. Some of the workouts they do would make most people quit.

“The hardest workout that we have had to do this year would be intervals,” Diaz said. “You run a 400, walk a 200, run an 800, walk a 300, run a 1200, walk a 400 and then you go back down the ladder.”

They don’t compete on race day but they do go to every competition and help in many different ways. Whether it’s taking times, taking pictures, or cheering on their teammates, they are there supporting every step of the way.

“I love going to the meets and supporting the team,” Martin said. “We have become so close to all of these younger kids so seeing them work hard and excel makes me respect cross country runner more than I ever have.”