With district only days away, cross country members are gearing up for the big race.      

“To get ready for district, I’m trying to beat my personal record,” sophomore Stephanie Rubalcaba said. “I want to do better than I have so far.”

The team raced in eight meets in preparation for district, Oct. 28.

“Previous meets allowed us to sharpen our racing skills so we can be race ready for district,” Coach Kelly Thompson said. “The hopes and expectations for the meet are for everyone to compete with smarts and heart.”

 The meet is at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock, a course the team ran earlier in the season.

“We have to run our race and not let the anxiety of it being the district meet take us out of our zone,” Thompson said. “A top four finish for the boys would be great and a top three finish for the girls is our goal.”

Runners who have potential to advance to regionals include seniors Daniel Belisk and Nicole Kastens, sophomore Helena Castle and freshman Karigan Allowitz. Castle advanced to state last year.

“This year, I’ve trained a lot harder,” Castle said. “I’ve been better prepared for the races.”