The coach of the cross country team, Jennifer Hagstrom, enjoys coaching the cross country team because of the kids. She enjoys that they show up on time and are ready every day that they practice. They run through the heat and the Nevada weather; they’re good students and good people. She finds waking up early on Saturdays between four and five in the morning to get to the bus before it leaves to be hard for the kids as it’s their time off from school. It’s hard to wake up in the morning to get out of bed, especially through the rough and unexpected weather. Mrs Hagstorm is proud that the kids she coaches are motivated to get up early and be on time no matter what. She adores the team she coaches, saying they’re awesome kids and she couldn’t enjoy them more as people. She states that “cross country picked me” when asked why she picked cross country to coach. She began coaching it because a friend of hers was the assistant coach before her and she’s always enjoyed the students in the sport. she was happy to take over when her friend had moved away. She thinks her students like that she treats them like humans and that she loves them as people and not just for how they do in sports, but she thinks they dislike when they do mileage days. it’s not because they’re trying to be mean but she wants them to do they’re best. If she ever stopped working in GEAR-UP  she would continue to coach; she doesn’t see herself leaving the Pahrump Valley community.

Alexis Clouser, a female runner on the cross country team, enjoys cross country because she enjoys running, and that the sport keeps her in good physical condition. Clouser participates in cross country not only because she enjoys it but because it gives her something to do after school and it’s a fun activity to participate in her free time. She also finds a few things challenging about cross country; Clouser states that she finds the mentality the most challenging part of the sport, the reason being that when you’re running it can be hard to stay in a good mentality and that you need a good mentality to run 3.1 miles without stopping. Though she sees a big challenge in the sport, she would change nothing about the sport or her teammates around her. Clouser picked cross country to be the sport she participates in because it’s something she’s always loved to do. She says she’s always loved to run and she sees the sport as her passion. Before an event, she always drinks a protein shake an hour or two before with an electrolyte tablet; with an apple thirty minutes before the meet or event. Clouser states that  “once you’re on the team, you’re like family” when speaking about his favorite part of cross country. she never doubts herself or her team before an event because she states “Never say you can’t or you can’t do it, you always have to say you can do it and what do you know I’m running 3.1 miles in twenty minutes.” Clouser has not thought thoroughly about whether she plans to continue cross country after she graduates high school.

Aydon Veloz is also another runner on our cross-country team. Veloz enjoys the team and environment of the sport, as he quotes; “but like for cross country it’s like one big family.” Like many other runners, Veloz doesn’t find the running challenging about the sport but he finds the mindset the most challenging about cross country because staying focused during races and meets can be challenging with the wrong mindset. Veloz would change the bus rides to the meets and the events because the bus rides can get boring. He joined the cross country team because his cousin begged him to join it so he could take the team to state, but his favorite part of cross country is that he can spend time with his friends and family whilst enjoying the sport. Veloz’s routine before an event is that he doesn’t warm up with the rest of his team, he just listens to music and stretches on his own, getting ready to run. He doesn’t doubt himself or his teammate’s skills before an event, he likes to be confident in himself and his teammates. He would continue cross country after graduation and has some colleges in mind.

If you see our teams at the meets or events make sure you greet our coach and cheer them on even if they can’t hear you.