Everyone knows cross-country is one of, if not the most vigorous of sports teams at AMHS. The almost 6 month period of grueling practices and training is definitely not a joke. Cross-country is surely a sport where what you put in, you get out. Here we have the two captains of the boys AMHS cross-country team that without a doubt put the work in.

Why do you choose cross-country?

Evan Daniels: I’ve been running cross country since about 5th grade and I absolutely love it. The sport provides both a mental and physical outlet for me where I can be alone with my thoughts and be able to push my body to its limit.

Christian Geils: I’ve also been doing it for many years, and I find it to be both challenging but also very rewarding. I enjoy the team aspect of the sport and I think it helps to build character. 

What are the workouts in a normal week of training?

Evan Daniels: It depends on the phase of training we’re in, but we generally have two workouts per week consisting of either speed, race pace, or tempo work, and a race on Saturday

Christian Geils: We have 2 per week, and the training speeds vary but they are quite hard usually. 

What is the team looking like this year compared to our competitors?

Evan Daniels: We’re definitely one of the top teams in 3A this year and we’ll be vying for the win come time for the State Championship.

Christian Geils: We’re a very strong team despite losing several seniors and we think we’ve got a decent shot at the state championship this year. 

This year, the Raptor boys are looking strong with their top 7 as well as some depth after that spot (only 7 compete and 5 score). The top 10 for the boys goes as follows: *no particular order* are Evan Daniels, Christian Geils, Carter Limbert, Garrett Griffin, Mark Owens, Noah Boudolf, McRae Wallace, Marshall Fleming, Sam Whelan, and Ronan Kotz. They are pretty tight on both halves.

The boys also have some pretty stiff competition with other 3A teams including Bishop England and May River. Last year, May River took home the state championship title with Magnet in second and Bishop England with the third place. Although the last state win from the boys was several years ago, the team has high hopes for this season and they are shooting for that title.