Through training and racing, WO distance runners log miles equivalent to running from Holland to Salt Lake City, Utah.

On a car ride that seemed like an eternity, Jr. Ava Porras traveled to Miami, Florida to catch a feeling of summer in the cold and blustery month of March. As the blue sky and dappled clouds whizzed by her window, her mind slipped into a state of boredom. Every muscle in her body ached from sitting still for over 20 hours, and she wished more than anything to be laying on the sun-baked beaches of Miami. 

   When she arrived at her final destination, Porras was unaware that the 1500-mile journey was the same distance she had run with the West Ottawa High School Cross Country and Track teams that year. 

   Every day after school, the girls’ Cross Country team puts in mileage. Sometimes three miles, other times ten. And all of those miles add up. Although they rarely leave the state to compete or train, they run a total distance equal to a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah or Miami, Florida every year: 1500 miles, or around 13 times across Lake Michigan. Over their four years at WO, a healthy varsity runner can total close to 6,000 miles. To even the runners themselves, this statistic seems unbelievable. Sr. Julia Frampton, who has run for all of high school thus far said, “Wow, I knew we ran a lot, but I never would have guessed it to be that much.” 

   The season kicked off with the Under the Lights invite, in which eight runners placed in the top 20. Under flashing strobe lights, fireworks, and a pitch-black sky, the Panthers won. A week later, on Saturday’s home meet at Harbor Lights Middle School, the Bredeweg Invitational, the cross-country team dominated the field. 

   On the cool misty morning before the racing began, the excitement was palpable. Family and faculty mingled on the course’s edge, expecting greatness from the team. The gun pierced the silence and bells began to ring, shouts filling the air. At the mile mark, West Ottawa was in the top 8 positions. Chris Olney, a West Ottawa parent heard parents from other schools exclaim, “Look at all the West Ottawa girls!”

   Although a few spots were taken over the course of the race, the final standings were incredible, West Ottawa winning with 20 points. The lowest possible score is 15. There were 7 West Ottawa girls in the top ten, and several more just behind. With a meet of 22 teams and hundreds of runners on the line, the dominance that the team showed was an impressive feat. The race was only 3.2 miles, a tiny fraction of the thousands they run over their career, but races are the place where these girls demonstrate grit and determination. 

   This is just one of many indications that point towards the team’s impressive depth. With more varsity athletes than ever before, the team is poised to make significant strides, building on a foundation of success. The returning athletes bring a wealth of experience. Seniors Helen Sachs, Julia Frampton, Jane Olney, and Emma Gunnett have run in countless championships and know how to compete at an elite level. Also, two seasoned juniors Ava Porras and Addison Birkholtz have had an incredible career thus far running and placing at conference meets and getting outstanding personal records. The girls’ cross country team has won five conference and regional championships in a row and has placed 2nd, 1st, and 3rd at state the past three years. 

   Despite this promising outlook for the season, the team has several challenges ahead. The primary focus for this season, upon which the team has locked their sights, is winning the state championship. Across the state is Romeo High School, a now well-established rival that is ranked as one of the top teams in the country. Milesplit, an athletic ranking and tracking website, ranked Romeo as the number 12th team in the country. What Romeo has in the raw talent of a select few, West Ottawa makes up for with their incredible depth. Although there are definite doubts in mind for the team and coaches, they aren’t enough to overrule the tremendous amounts of miles that the team has put in, and the drive that propels them over the finish line. Sr. Emma Gunnett, a long-time runner at West Ottawa said, “I’m very confident that if we can put it together on the day as a team that we can go out there and dominate.” 

   The team has had much success in recent years. This is due to the excellent coaching of Kyle Barnes, the head coach at West Ottawa. He is known for his motivational sayings, and phrases for success. Among them is “Success in November begins in June.” It is an absolute focal point of the team that they meet year round. By keeping the miles high, and working harder than any team around, they build a base level of endurance. Many girls on the team get up to 40 or 45 miles a week during the middle of summer. Barnes has completely shifted the attitude and culture of the team, shaping West Ottawas runners from participants to racers. 

    Instead of beginning training in the fall like many teams across the U.S., the girls’ team meets bright and early four days a week during the summer at 7:30 a.m. They meet around Holland at various parks and hills, endlessly traversing the same terrain. By ramping up mileage at the start of the summer, they are able to reap the benefits during the championship season. 

   This tactical training is crucial to success. Behind each mile completed are hardworking and dedicated athletes that have been shaped and conditioned by Barnes to be able to handle the training and compete at an elite level. “Now 5+ years in I feel like we have a tradition of these things and I try to have constant reminders around the athletes of this culture, like all the individual banners of former athletes in our locker room, signs with reminders of things we focus on every day like “SHARED SUFFERING,” Barnes said. 

   When new runners walk into the locker room at the West Ottawa Stadium they can see the pictures of past athletes that shaped the cross country program to what it is today. Rather than just seeing the triumphs from prior years on banners, they can begin to feel inspired to put in the miles and run the distance.