The distinguishable sound of feet pounding the pavement, the heavy exasperated breathing coming from the flushed faces of the racers, and the sound of motivational chants echoing from the parents were the dominant noises that could be heard on October 7.

The Forest Hills Central girls cross country team placed second overall out of the six teams competing at the third OK White jamboree of the season.

This particular race is significant due to the fact that it directly affects conference standings, testing the abilities of all the runners and forcing them to challenge their individual endurance. For many Lady Rangers, this course was nothing short of challenging and strenuous.

“In terms of difficulty, this course fell right in the middle of the spectrum,” said junior Amytess Girgis, who crossed the finish line with an impressive time 19:19 on the 5-kilometer course. “For the most part, it’s pretty flat and the grass is short. There is one massive hill that we have to run twice, though.”

Junior Zoe Mccourt agreed with Girgis. “The course wasn’t easy,” Mccourt said, who covered the course in 28 minutes and 10 seconds.  “In terms of preparation, our team did a lot more speed and hill workout to get us ready for this competition. When I first crossed the finish line, I was just glad it was over.”

The Lady Rangers displayed an immense amount of strength considering many of their girls were ranked near the top standings; Girgis placed first overall, with senior Ally Stapleton trailing behind in fourth place with a time of 19:45.  Freshman Susannah Bennett (8th, 19:56), junior Katie Allen (11th, 20:11), and freshman Courtney McAlindoon  (22nd, 20:21) are just a few of the key runners who helped the team place as well as they did.

Coach Ryan Schipper stated that this season exceeded their expectations, with the girls constantly putting forth a strong effort and placing “pretty well” overall.

“We got out of the gate faster than we ever have before as a team,” Schipper said. “However, we are also struggling through some injuries. Hopefully we can get through it, though, and get on with the championship part of the season.”

For the Lady Rangers, crossing the finish line, listening for their time to be called, and being slapped on the chest with a number afterwards evoked a variety of emotions. For Girgis, the overwhelming sensations that surfaced as soon as her feet crossed over the finish were nothing short of spectacular.

“I honestly felt relieved,” Girgis said. “This particular race, I took the lead  pretty early on; when I finally stepped over finish line, I was just really proud of myself.”