A running dynasty is budding right in our backyard. The Davies girls cross country team is dominating the competition with four team titles in the last eight years and the Eagles aren't slowing down anytime soon. Cross country doesn’t seem like a sport that would have the biggest participation numbers, but the Davies girls cross country team begs to differ.
"I think that they see the success and they want to be a part of that," Davies girls cross country head coach Jason Edwards said.
With 65 girls, the Eagles have numbers that would make high school football teams jealous. While winning the last two team state titles have helped that, there’s another reason for its popularity.
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"If you walk on to another team you are not sure where you are going to fit in," Eagles senior runner Bridget Henne told WDAY Sports. "With cross country everybody is there to welcome you in and you know you are on a true family."
"It's the girls that we get out. They are quality characters," Edwards stated. "Parents want their kids to be a part of it. The girls feel like they have an impact when they come an join our program."
And it's a program that doesn’t shy away from the spotlight.
"When we come off the bus, we like to make sure everybody knows we are there. We come out as one big army," Edwards said. "When we do our team cheer, we make sure everybody at the course knows we are ready to run."
Head coach Jason Edwards isn’t the type of guy to stand on the side with a stopwatch and clipboard. He has a more hands on approach. When his team runs he is with them stride for stride.
"Someone can tell you to run faster, but when they are running right next to you, you believe them a lot more," Davies senior Megan Lundstrom said. "They say run faster and they have to do it too."
"It helps you get through the hard workouts. If he is with you, you try and want to try and drop him though because he is older, but it's still fun," Henne explained.
With the bond they’ve formed, the Eagles are ready to soar together this weekend to another championship.
