Motion masters: Mount Si’s cross country vets share the philosophies that keep them running

Published 1:15 pm Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Bailey Scott has been up in front of the Mount Si cross country pack for more than a season now.

Running comes naturally to her, but as she pushes further ahead, she finds that it takes more work to succeed. No matter, because Scott, like other cross country leaders for the Wildcats, is highly motivated, as a person and as a teammate.

“Being on the team, being with my friends is low key, no stress,” the junior says. “But you still want to push yourself as far as you can. I want to see myself improve.”

She wants to see fellow girls runners work together, “motivate each other and push each other to districts,” Scott said. She has her eyes on the top ranks in district and league, and finally, state competition.

For the boys, senior Tim Corrie is in his second year of cross country (he’s been in track for four years).

“I have a different philosophy than almost anyone else on the team,” Corrie says. “Every sport I do, helps another sport. And I love to run.”

Distance running this fall helps Corrie in his wrestling career this winter.

Corrie started running in sixth grade. He says he didn’t start out very good. But little by little, he has improved.

Tim would like to make state and break 16:30 on the 5k course, as would fellow senior Dom Canady.

Asked what it means to be a Wildcat runner, Canady says “it means putting the team on your back.”

He cares about his team, and wants to see this squad become tightly knit.

“We have a small team. We should really learn everyone’s names, get to know everyone,” Canady says. “So, at the end of the season, no matter how well you did, you know a lot of people.”

Those sentiments speak well to the sense of tradition and camaraderie that the Mount Si cross country team has shown in past seasons.