When the UIL announced the start date of all 5A fall sports would be pushed back, coaches on campus quickly began to make adjustments. But things had to move a bit faster for cross country as Sept. 7 is the first date they can begin competing against other schools. 

Balancing the need to get ready for the team’s first meet with COVID-19 guidelines is something boys’ head coach Ben Manning is trying to do on a daily basis. 

“We understand when they’re running you can’t, or you don’t necessarily have to have your mask on but if you’re just stretching, or you’re just getting your water you have to have the mask on at all times,” Manning said. “Normally we would run in like this big clumps, we’ve tried to say, start this way, and you guys start that way or maybe a staggered start, so just trying to find ways to have them distanced when they don’t have their mask on and when they’re actually running.”

Keeping the Redhawk runners focused and prepared is something Manning is trying to do with each practice.

“Cross country is so much about the brotherhood and everything like that, and it’s kind of been taken away in a sense,” Manning said. “But we’ve implemented a couple of these Saturday practices that we haven’t normally done in the past just to like have some more fun and get to know each other a little bit better since some of our time got cut short, and just trying to build that bond despite everything that’s gone on this spring and summer.”

Manning is optimistic that cross country will have its season this fall.

“I’m very hopeful,” Manning said. “I think once September hits, and everyone comes back to school that’s coming back to school, and our first meet is scheduled for September 12th and once I actually see how the meets are gonna work I’ll have a little bit better idea but man I sure hope so.”