On Nov. 2, the Hawai’i High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) held the Cross Country State Championships at Seabury Hall, a private school on Maui. Despite not placing at the top level, MHS’ runners were happy to compete in the event. Juniors Kale Glunt and Zianya Gonzalez, who placed 29th and 102th respectively, were disappointed but showed gratitude towards their teammates.

     “I’ve noticed that other teams tend to focus all their time on running and only running,” said Glunt. “But not on the bonding as a team.”

     The team’s friendship was strengthened by bonding events coordinated by the seniors on the team. The team captains worked not only to motivate the runners but to befriend them as well. “I think the team is a great group of people. They’re all super supportive to each other and we all have fun and we’re able to connect with each other easily,” said Gonzalez. “I post a lot about how I love my team which I truly do and they’re the best group of people I like to be with.” 

     The mutual respect among the teammates is shared with other schools’ teams as well. The competitors showed sportsmanship after the event.  “We’re very supportive to not only our team, but to every other team,” said Gonzalez. “We congratulate when someone else wins and we help everyone out when we can.” 

     The team is brought together not just for the competition, but for the appreciation of running in general. “I like the experience after you finish running. It’s a good feeling afterwards; you feel like you want to keep going again and again — it gets addictive after every run. And the people make it fun too,” said Gonzalez.

     The underclassmen on the team thought highly of the captains. They serve as role models and inspirations for the rest of the group. “The person I respect the most on the team is Daniel Stewart. One of the seniors — he shows how hard work and persistence always exceeds talent,” said Glunt.

     Eleven students from MHS participated in the HHSAA state championships with six boys and five girls.