Thirty minutes before their race started on a chilly Saturday morning, half of the girls’ cross-country team was missing. Those who remained near the team tent were trying to stay warm by running around or doing jumping jacks, not at all resembling a functional team that was about to run a 5K race. 

The missing part of the team had resorted to alternative methods of keeping warm, including hiding in the bathroom. But they weren’t complaining about the cold.

“The weather conditions were perfect,” captain Grace Knowles said. “The cold made everyone faster. You run fast so you can get out of the cold.”

In their last meet before SPC at St. Andrew’s School in Austin on Oct. 26, the Mavs learned how to brave the elements and dress in layers, with many runners wearing gloves and undershirts.

“The start was really fast and forced you to get out quick,” captain Julia Jones said. “It’s a course on which it’s hard to run if you zone out, so you’ve got to stay engaged.”

Although pre-meet preparation in the cold is never fun, the team agreed that the cooler weather made everyone’s times faster. The Mavericks set ten personal records, with four runners being named All-South Zone medalists: Cici Calhoun, Catie Beck, Nora Doughty and Natalie Boquist. The Mavs finished third out of seven schools with Kinkaid, Episcopal and John Cooper taking the lead.

“The course was good,” freshman Katie Karlson said. “The hills made it challenging, but the cold air was a welcome distraction.”