When a cross country runner tells someone who doesn't run that cross country is fun, she often encounters a look of disbelief. What could possibly be fun about 7:00 AM practices all summer, running long distances six days a week, and competitions that involve running 5 kilometers as fast as you possibly can, right? Well, running with your teammates is pretty fun, and so is dancing with them after the race. Ravenwood's Lady Raptor XC team got to do both at Saturday Light Fever at Sanders Ferry Park in Hendersonville.

First up were the JV girls, who had the best team finish of all four Ravenwood teams. Led by freshman Lily MacDonald, senior captain Tiffany Rocha, Kelly Gilroy, Annabelle Klein, Mae Sheehan, Ivy Blanton, and Addison Boggs, the JV Lady Raptors were runners up out of 17 scoring teams. Their 68 second 1-5 split had Coach Mueller beaming afterwards. "Cross country is all about running together as a team, and the JV girls really packed it in tonight. Lily had an amazing high school debut, running her second loop with only one spike. How can you not be impressed?" Tiffany definitely is, on a daily basis. "I am so incredibly proud of this team; their determination and grit inspire me every day to be a better runner," she said.

The varsity girls started their race at 8:20. With no sunlight left, they were guided by the portable spotlights as they navigated the 3.11 miles rolling hills and the humidity. Junior Ashlyn Twyman led the way a 20:30, followed by Hadar Biger, Kennedy Carothers, Hannah Kang, Charlotte Remkus, Lily Turner,  and Ashley Yeung. They placed 12th out of 32 scoring teams, and Coach Mueller saw plenty to be excited about. "We had three freshman running their first high school race, two girls who weren't on the team last fall racing for the first time since 2022, and one other girl running her first varsity race, so we got some much needed experience tonight. I think we will improve quite a bit with each passing race."

After the last race, the girls asked the DJ to play "Cotton Eyed Joe," then danced together with runners from all over middle Tennessee. "I think it's great that our girls were the ones who got the party started," said Coach Mueller. "I always tell them how proud I am of their dedication to cross country, but I'm even more proud of the kind of people they are. They made sure everybody went home smiling."

All told, Ravenwood's Lady Raptors had ten person records and twelve season bests. They will race again at the Voyles Classic on September 7.