The countdown to the conference championship is officially on. The Southeast Valley middle school cross country team gave it everything they had at their final regular-season meet, running a demanding, hilly course at the South Central Calhoun Brian Knapp Invitational on Tuesday, October 6. Facing some repeated inclines, the runners tackled the hills in a heat we haven’t felt for weeks. The runners paced themselves through the rolling terrain, using the tough uphill climbs to push past competitors before reaching the flat where they could lengthen their stride. “It felt WAY longer tonight. At the end, I wanted to walk, but my teammates sprinting on the flat helped me finish,” commented 8th-grader Nikota Lyons. On the flip-side, the longer and hillier course is a favorite of some of our runners. Eighth-grader Averie Kitchen loves the course. “While this course is challenging, it pushes me to my limits with its hills and how it is longer than the other courses we run. It makes me not quit after two-miles; I have to keep going, and I like that.” The hard work throughout the season was on full display as athletes fought through the hills and a longer course to finish this challenging meet. “It was a difficult meet compared to others," said Coach Lee. “Coming off of Saturday’s meet, we could see the kids were tired. We know our next race will be a different story; we will see lots of PRs next week.” Team standings were fantastic last night. The girls’ team got 2nd place out of eight teams in last night’s meet, and the boys’ team placed 4th. Way to run, kids! This final test proved that the team is physically and mentally ready for their final meet of the season - conference. With the hills behind them, the runners are shifting their focus entirely to the upcoming conference championship meet at Pocahontas. “My goal is to place in the top 10 at conference next week… and get a PR in the process,” said newcomer Kiley Norine. Eighth-grader Adley Davis has a goal set, too. “My goal is to push myself harder than before and beat my personal record from last week’s run on the course.” If this meet and last meet were any indication of the team’s success, the squad is primed to leave it all on the course and finish the season stronger than ever.