Racing to the top, the girls’ varsity cross country team ranked 5 in state.

Sophomore Skyler Lui said, “having our team ranked fifth in the state is amazing. The girls on the team work so hard and really deserve it.”

Sophomore Sophie Reynolds said, “It is exciting to be this highly ranked because now we know we will have a good chance of qualifying for state this year and beating our main rival division four schools.”

The team has not been given any metals yet; those will be given out at NCS and the State Championships, in November.

All scoring runners on the team from last year have returned this year, so the team has concentrated on improving a team that is familiar with the sport and with each other.

Reynolds also said that she thinks that the Piedmont’s High team score last year at State helped be seen as a competitor and that in the couple of meets they have had, the team as a whole has done really well.

The girl’s cross country girls has gotten a new coach this year.

“Our coach was very proud of us,” Mills said. “It’s her first year coaching our team so she’s incredibly happy.”

Mills said that the most significant thing about being ranked 5th is that they go to meets now and a lot of teams know who they are already and that in the past, they were a relatively unknown team.

“The girls on the team work so hard and really deserve it,” Lui said. “All of them have been working so hard the past couple years, and I am so lucky to be a part of their team this year.”