![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and its played such a major role in who Ive become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something Im [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala (21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“Im not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
As the cross country season comes to a close, there has been large number of injuries this year: more than one-fourth of the 50 runners are out with leg wounds.
A poll of the team shows that out of the fourteen injured runners polled, nine athletes have shin splints. Sprained ankles are also a common injury among runners, afflicting three runners currently, and two other runners are also with other, less common injuries.
“In a sport like cross country, the most common injuries are overuse injuries,” said Athletic Trainer, Jaron Olson. “This is because running over and over is repetitive…. they do the same thing over and over.”
Shin splints and sprained ankles fall under the category of overuse injuries. The number of these injuries is increased by the training regimen’s extensive trail running, which according to Olson is a huge cause of ankle injuries.
These injuries have a major impact on the team, as an ankle sprain can keep a runner out for anywhere between a few days to a month of no physical activity.
Similarly, shin splints can take a runner out of practice from anywhere between a day to the entire season.
Catherine Stiles (12) has been injured on and off for almost the whole season. She said that if she begins to feel pain, she immediately stops running rather than risking permanent damage.
“I think [the cause of the injury is] the repetitive stress of running. It happens every season. If something starts hurting, be aware of it,” Catherine said.
Wearing the right shoes is also an aspect of concern. Chun Man Chow (11) believes that his injury was caused by the lack of ankle support his shoe offered.
Olson said that when shoes start to wear down, they cannot absorb impact as well and therefore can cause of many ankle injuries. He then added that cross country runners should to buy special trail running shoes, yet many, such as Chun Man, have overlooked this detail.
“I’d been wearing my old shoes for around eight months,” Chun Man said. He got new shoes that offered more ankle support and is now running again.
With 28 percent of runners spraining their ankles and hurting their shins, the cross country program is short on runners. However, injured athletes have undergone necessary treatment and recovered eventually.
“All our top runners are taking care of themselves. Some of the JV guys are getting injured because they aren’t used to [the repetitive motion of running],” Varsity captain Ragini Bhattacharya (10) said.
Despite the injuries, the team has continued to work hard and keep up their good spirits.
“Morale is not getting down at all,” said Paul Nangle, the head coach
The team still performed very well in the league with, girls placing 3rd twice in their WBAL meets and boys placing 4th and then 3rd. The girls are now 2nd in their league, and the boys at 3rd.
