By Katelyn Stearns
Cross country is one of the fall sports offered here at Delavan-Darien High School, and arguably the most difficult. It focuses on running long distances, normally anywhere from 2 and 6 miles, on any terrain, and in any conditions; over the course of the season, the team ran in 90℉ and 30℉ weather, in rain, up and down hills, on straight stretches, on wooded trails, sidewalks, roads, and grass. At the high school level, races are 5 kilometers long, which equates to 3.1 miles.
Unlike many other sports, cross country is largely individual, so runners are mainly competing against themselves. When running, mental strength is just as or more important than physical toughness. For most sports, running is a punishment. In cross country, it’s the sport in itself; quite literally, “Our sport is your sport’s punishment.”
The head coach for the team is Patrick Wrubbel, a 5th grade ELA teacher at Phoenix Middle School. He has coached the team the last four years after coaching cross country at Albany High School for several years. He is also the track distance coach here at the high school. The assistant coach is Edith Flores. She attended DDHS and was in cross country her senior year. She has been coaching at Delavan-Darien for the past two years. She said she decided to start helping coach the team because “I want to help the cross country program grow in our district and I want to help the kids on the team become better athletes and be there for them with anything they need.” She consistently goes on runs with the team, leads workouts, and supervises when Coach Wrubbel is gone.
The 2023 team has doubled in size since last year. Part of this is due to the fact that many people on the team from last year are on the team again this year. Additionally, several new people joined the team, including five freshmen. The middle school cross country team has also grown significantly larger, which should correspondingly increase the number of high school runners in future years. Unlike some sports, cross country is beginner-friendly. Partly because of its individual aspect, athletes are able to progress at their own pace, while still being bolstered by the team dynamic. There are no pre-requirements so anyone can join, no matter what experience they may or may not have.
Although cross country is extremely challenging, it is also rewarding and fun. Practices aren’t boring and monotonous; this year, the team went on a scavenger hunt, ran to Darien to get ice cream at the Darien Ice Cream Shoppe, and went bowling at Delavan Lanes. The past two years, the team has had the opportunity to do an overnight trip to go to the Wausau Invitational Meet in early September. Trips like this help bring the team closer together and make the season exciting.
Many cross country runners join it to complement another sport; Zack Schroeder, a freshman on the team, said that he joined the team, “ [to keep] me in shape for my next sports, like swimming and track…,” and Trinity Early, a senior who joined cross country for the first time this year, said that she joined it to condition for track.
Although the district has exceptional athletes in every sport, the only athletes to qualify for state competition this year came from the cross country team: freshman Katelyn Stearns and junior Alaina Sorg, who had previously gone her freshman year in 2021. The state competition this year was on October 28th in Wisconsin Rapids. Various team members also received medals at different meets throughout the season. Overall, the cross country team had a very successful season. The team is always looking for new members, so if you’re interested, consider joining it next year!
*Minor changes to this article were made after its original publication.
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