This fall, Hidden Valley High School’s Girls’ Cross Country Team has had a memorable 2024 season. The team kicked off their main season on August 21, with an invitational at Blacksburg High School and wrapped it up on October 26, at an invitational at Green Pole Park. They had a total of 12 meets. The team has since competed at regionals and will go on to states on November 16 at Virginia Tech’s Buford Meredith Cross Country Course.

The girls’ team is led by captain Leila Ramey (12), who began practicing with the high school in 8^th grade. “[I] skipped my 9^th grade season because of other sports, but I’ve been doing it every year since then,” she said. As a captain, Ramey has not only enjoyed becoming a role model for the younger athletes but is also proud of her own achievements as a runner in her senior season. “My greatest personal achievement has been either running sub 22 minutes in the 5k or becoming a role model for the younger athletes on the team,” the captain shared.

The team will now be moving on to Virginia High School League’s Cross Country State Tournament, represented by Charlotte Hieber and Leila Ramey. However, the team has faced some challenges as well. “We’ve unfortunately had a couple more serious injuries occur, especially on the girls’ side,” Ramey said. “I know how frustrated they are with it, but if anything, they’ll work even harder to get back into running once they’re healed.”

As for the accomplishments of the team as a whole, Ramey said, “I’m very proud that our team has gotten to be so close to each other during practices and races. I’ve been lucky enough to watch a lot of the kids grow in both their mindsets and their athletic abilities because they have that encouragement from the team, combined with our coach’s great training.” Reflecting on the team’s growth, she shared, “It’s been especially rewarding to see our middle school team grow, we have some of the fastest athletes in the state, and I’m incredibly proud of all of them, middle and high, for working so hard.”