Cross country looks to be a state-contender

Saratoga High School Cross Country Head Coach would like to see his team members run faster than 19 minutes and 30 seconds at state on Saturday.

Each member of the cross country team needs to take about a minute off of their time Saturday to be able to take the top four spots for the boys team and the top 10 for the girls team.

With only two girls on the cross country team this year, they don’t have a chance of winning a team trophy, but Katie Loose and Kelsie Samson could very well place in the top 10, which would give them an all-state title.

“The boys want a trophy,” Hohnholt said. He thinks they have a good chance of being the top three in the 1A/2A competition in Sheridan. Hohnholt said the state meet is one of the smallest meets they run in all year.

“In the Sheridan course, you are running up or running down and if you don’t do either one very, very well, they are not going to do well,” Hohnholt said. “It is not a pace course.”

The week before state is the easiest week of training for the whole season, Hohnholt said. The team was running eight miles on Oct. 13, but trimmed it down to three-and-one-half miles for Monday.

“We can’t go too lenient, just enough to keep them in shape,” Hohnholt said. As they approach the state competition, he wants the team to run less so they are fresh for Saturday and hopefully run at their fastest speed all season.

“We’re hoping they are feeling like a million dollars when they go to compete at state,” Hohnholt said.