The Andale cross country program enters the season with a mix of youth, experience and a commitment to putting in the work.
The girls team will rely heavily on a young group of runners, many of whom are new to cross country. Coach Matt Goetz said the group has already shown a willingness to learn and improve.
“The girls team is young and a lot of the runners are new to running cross country,” Goetz said. “It is a good group of girls that are very coachable. It will be exciting to see what they can accomplish as the season gets rolling.”
Sophomore Ayvah Banda is expected to provide leadership for the girls after a strong freshman season. Banda enjoys the competitive side of running and consistently brings a strong work ethic to the team.
“Ayvah is a sophomore and coming off a great freshman season,” Goetz said. “She enjoys running and competing and giving her best effort is important to her. We will be looking at her to be a strong leader for our girls team.”
On the boys side, Andale returns senior Sam Pavelski, who has been running cross country since his freshman year. Pavelski has built a reputation for embracing hard work and enters the season following a productive summer of training.
“Sam is a senior and has been running since his freshman year,” Goetz said. “He is accustomed to hard work. He has put in a great summer of training, while putting in a lot of hours working manual labor.”
The Indians also will look to sophomore Levi Schmidt as an underclassman to watch. Schmidt’s willingness to push through difficult moments could make him an important part of the boys team.
“Tough runner,” Goetz said. “Willing to embrace the hurt.”
With the boys putting in consistent miles throughout the summer and the girls continuing to learn the demands of cross country, Andale enters the season eager to see how its preparation translates to competition.
“The team has been working hard and been putting in some consistent miles,” Goetz said. “They are excited to put in another season of competitive racing.”
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