The AE/MS Cross Country team, coached by Anna Kate Hattan and Isabel Hattan, is made up of students from grades 5 through 8. Different from track, as it is done through the windy wooded areas of New Hampshire, it has become more popular for the Andover students this year, with almost 20 percent of all middle-school students participating in the sport.

At the start of the year, new team members had to learn the routines of the sport before the coaches could teach everyone some new techniques. We began looking ahead at a successful season as we realized we had a strong group developing. The team now included fifth graders Rai-lee, Boe, Lyric, Logan, Evelynn, and Karlee; sixth graders Savannah, Maeve, Millie, and Gavin; seventh graders Candice and Joe; and the veterans of the group, eighth graders Maycee, Lakota, and Damien.

The team made great progress after a few more meets and lots of practices. Every member of the team became stronger and increased their endurance. The biggest moment for the team was at John Stark because everybody ran hard and beat their previous time. When asked about this year’s team, Coach Anna Kate Hattan said, “The AE/MS runners have worked hard, and it shows through their improved times throughout the season.”

The team is already excited for a new year next year, with the potential for another big boost in membership. With only three eighth-grade team members moving on at the end of the year, there is great potential for a big boost in numbers with the new fifth-grade class.