Stone Memorial Lady Panthers Girls Cross Country Head Coach Nichole Barton said her goal for this fall consists of a return to the state championship.
Last year’s appearance marked the 15th time the Lady Panthers advanced to the state tournament as a team. Barton said every off-season bring unique challenges.
“It’s sometimes hard to kind of re-calibrate over the summer once you have lost some of your athletes,” Barton said. “And then just kind of looking at your team dynamic and seeing how you might have to do things differently with the talent level of the athletes that are coming up and are still on the team.”
The Lady Panthers will run this season without two of last year’s top runners. Shelby Vitous will run collegiately in both cross country and track. Barton also ran at the college level. She said seeing Vitous and other seniors graduate reminded Barton of her time in college.
“It’s almost like living vicariously through these athletes,” Barton said. “I’ve been able to experience it in my lifetime and it’s just really fun and it’s really exciting to watch them be able to do the same thing.”
Barton said her choices for creating the roster remain the same.
“We don’t cut any members from a team,” Barton said. “If you’re willing to come out and you’re willing to run and you’re willing to practice, then you make the team. That’s another thing I love about cross country. If you’re able to put the work in, then you have a place on our team.”
Barton enters this season with 15 girls on the cross country team.
