The cross country team will attend the Marcus I Invitational on August 31 at North Lakes Park in Denton, the team’s fifth meet of the year. 

Last season, two students represented the school at the state championship. Head coach Chris Capeau is hoping to improve on more than one aspect of the team’s success this year. 

“I don’t really get too big on goals and expectations,” Capeau said. “I think that we are always going to be one of the best teams in the state of Texas as far as competing, so I say the standard would be that you carry yourself that way. I think it’s a lot bigger than running. Of course we want to take both our teams to regionals, boys and girls, and we want to take both our teams to state.”

Cross country’s practices started when school did, but many runners train all summer and participate in track during the spring semester as well. Capeau said right now they are working on teaching new athletes the basics, and that this year’s team is more like a family than it has been in his years here. 

“This is my third year now being the coach here,” Capeau said. “And the kids that are here want to be here. They know that there’s a standard – in the way you show up, in your work ethic and your attitude, and it’s not that the other [kids] didn’t, it’s just becoming more and more of that [standard]. I think that’s really exciting.”

Cross country season lasts through November, and extends into December if the team qualifies to compete in Nationals. 

“We’re the best at the end of the season,” Capeau said. “That’s just the way we train and set it up, so we matter most when it’s championship season. I think we have that mindset and show up that way and it’s really fun.”