As fall sports wind down, and athletes finish the first season of new COVID restrictions, cross country runners Xela Gunvalson, Ryan Kraemer, Riley Carlson, Sam Ryan, and Thomas Libbey are all grateful for being able to have had a season and are hopeful for the future of the BSM cross country program as a whole.

Some dramatic changes were made to the cross country season this year to keep athletes socially distanced. Restrictions were put on the number of fans permitted, and only three teams were allowed to compete in races. Some runners, like senior captain Thomas Libbey, saw a noticeable change in the racing environment due to these changes. “The biggest difference is just the overall energy on the course is lower because we’re used to running with a few hundred people, and now it is likely just one or two other people around you,” Libbey said.

On the other hand, summer and fall COVID restrictions motivated new athletes to come out for cross country for the first time. “Our season started off with an unexpected amount of girls at summer practices because I think so many were looking for a regulated social gathering,” senior captain Xela Gunvalson said.

One upside to the restrictions was that teams had more time to hone their personal skills without competing as much. “Cross country is a hectic sport in itself, but COVID restrictions (limited size of teams at meets, less meets, shorter season) let us really focus on ourselves and our team,” Gunvalson said in an email interview.

Other than the atmosphere at the meets, the boys’ cross country team also had to make changes to their team traditions. “One of the saddest moments of the year was when we found out that we couldn’t go on our yearly overnight trip that cross country takes either to like Iowa or South Dakota. It’s usually a big team bonding event, and this year because of COVID, we weren’t able to do that,” senior captain Sam Ryan said.

“I think the overnight in the past has been a really important team bonding experience, so I hope they can do it in the future,” fellow senior captain Ryan Kraemer said in an email interview.

Now that the season has ended, seniors have had time to reflect on the successes and unique parts of this year. “I’m still very grateful that we’re able to have a season, and that we’ve been able to have it the whole time,” Libbey said.

Next year, the Red Knights will be reclassified. “MSHSL voted last year, and it goes into effect next year, that they’re moving [cross country] to three classes instead of two. So now instead of racing against teams like Eden Prairie, Wayzata, and Minnetonka, we’re going to stay in the middle class and race against schools like Blake and Breck, which will give the program a better chance to go to state,” Ryan said.

Gunvalson has high hopes for the girls’ team as she finishes her final season. “There are so many strong young runners that I see bringing the program to a new level,” Gunvalson said.

Regarding the boys, senior captain Riley Carlson has high expectations which he believes the next generation will fulfill. “They’re really looking at being able to make a run for state next year or the year after that,” Carlson said.

In agreement with the other captains, Kraemer is optimistic in regards to the program’s future. “We had a really good season with a lot of guys getting faster, and a lot of 5k times we haven’t seen in a while on the team coming from multiple people. I think we have a really strong future with a cohesive group and fast runners,” Kraemer said.