The Wagner Raiders cross country team heads into the new season with a mix of returning standouts and promising young runners, guided by coaches Patrick Belling and Mieke Slaba. While the squad lost four seniors from last year’s roster, the coaches say they have several runners this year with the “go-get-it” attitude who will fall right in the motivational role.

“We have some promising runners returning from last year, and our younger runners have been impressive,” Slaba said. “The drive and motion of our younger athletes is pretty awesome.”

Freshman Grady Bartunek, sophomore Taya Stone, freshman Braelyn Jones, and eighth grader Cooper Slaba lead the list of returning standouts, while seventh grader Mason Tjeerdsma has emerged as a role model, logging miles all summer and encouraging teammates to follow his lead.

The Raiders kicked off their summer with the Randall Hills Running Camp in June, followed by open runs twice a week. This season’s training emphasizes gradual building to avoid injuries and a focus on smart recovery when setbacks occur. The biggest early-season priority will be pacing— helping runners maintain strength throughout longer races. “Starting a race is easy, but pacing and building into a long run takes a lot of mind over matter ability,” commented Coach Slaba.

The team’s biggest strength? “Our drive,” Slaba said. “We have kids who want to be here, and that makes all the difference.”

The Raiders are looking forward to testing themselves on the Parkston course this year, and are hopeful to have their local meet in Pickstown, which they hope will provide an accurate 5K layout.

“To keep athletes motivated we mix it up in practice,” Slaba said. “We have different workouts that help us stay driven and we have fun doing it!”