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The Boys and Girls Cross Country teams did very well in the 2023 season. Standout stars senior Jaxson Merrill and junior Ava Bullock lead the pack at States. Merill, a senior, finished in boys Division 1 in 16 place with 16:27. Bullock, a junior, ran in the girls Division 1 with a time of 19:58. She finished 16 out of 186 runners. They were two runners amongst over 1000 running in the 5k statewide.
Cross country remains undefeated in the Cape Cod League and they made it to states for the third year in a row. BHS has won 13 league championships and one state championship. Both the boys and girls team are amongst the best in the state. To qualify for states (Division 1) teams have to be part of the top seven schools in the state. There are about 30 teams in each division.
Senior Chloe Dibb said cross country is one of the hardest sports mentally. Along with dealing with rough terrain and unpredictable weather, runners also have to deal with the fatigue that comes with running. This fatigue affects runners mentally as well as physically and can be caused by a buildup of lactic acid.
Lactic acid is used as fuel for your cells during intense exercise. It’s created when your body breaks down carbohydrates. Lactic acidosis occurs when there is a buildup of lactic acid. This can cause nausea, weakness and abdominal pain. Runners often feel these side effects when training and racing.
Despite moving around often at the big meets like states and leagues, thousands of people pour out to watch these kids run. Coach Keith Caldwell says “ When there are home meets… people can see them and we get a good turnout. Lots of cheers.”
Coach Caldwell started coaching because he was an avid runner, as well as being a coach at Fontbonne Academy when he first started teaching. He has coached BHS girls cross country for a total of 22 seasons. “It requires a good deal of knowledge to train young long distance runners,” he said.
