Follow senior Aleta Looker of Ellsworth during her season xc season. Looker finished 9th in the Class B meet a year ago, & 41st in the New England Championship. She is known for her 800m prowess on the track where she's run the #2 outdoor 800m in Maine history, 2:14.30.
I can't believe the Cross Country season has already come and gone. After the Indoor Track meeting and our first few practices it's becoming even more difficult to come to terms with myself that the end of my senior year is fast approaching. Now is truly the time to make the most of all the frigid windy workouts and blissful team bus rides. My personal mindset has entirely transformed. Shifting from long periods of intense Cross Country concentration to the unmatched feeling of fatigue but satisfaction after a session in the weight room is getting me so psyched for racing on an oval again. I already decorated my new spike box! Hopefully everyone knows what I mean and is just as eager. Let's have another outstanding season!!!
The New England Championship wasn't exactly the way I wanted my Cross season to end, which explains why this blog took awhile to sit down and write. Choosing to rest then head straight into track instead of racing at Nike Cross was a very tough decision. Moving on from that race after a thoughtful post-competition analysis made me understand how amazing the opportunity itself was. Standing on the starting line awaiting the gun with other Maine ladies saying hurried wishes of luck - to soon be pushed by athletes of such strong talent is an experience I will never forget.
The night before was special, too! Driving up to Manchester with the boys team was a blast. Watching two of my coaches "race" the course in the dark, predicting their times, and cheering them along the way (with strange looks from other teams) was hilarious. This tradition has always been especially memorable, and is just another part I will miss about EXC.
Walking out of my school after the team awards night, standing where I've started countless long runs since freshman year, put it all into perspective. These have been some of the best days of my life.
"The memories are but a small part." - from the Ellsworth XC Team Covenant
~Aleta
