Every week following the success at Emporia means a willingness for Manhattan Cross Country to practice harder each week during the season.

“Our practices are going to be harder. They have been harder each harder each week,” senior Megan Ochoa said.

The team continued with their goal of closing up their pack distance and, against stiff competition from small schools, the boys took third in the Varsity meet and fourth in the JV meet while the Varsity girls brought home their second first-place victory of the season and the JV girls took second.

As the team goes on with their season, coach Susan Melgares has different goals lined out to take home more wins with each meet of the season while also knowing of the high points to take from Emporia.

“The kids have been really good about fighting for placement,” Melgares said. “We just keep looking to get closer to the front of the pack.”

As the team prepares for their overnight travel to Joplin, Mo., one of their biggest points to training for each meet is closing up the distance between runners and putting themselves to the front of the other teams. Joplin is one of their biggest meets of the season with a collection of schools from several states including a few schools from Kansas.

“This week, we’ll be running a 5K. Our times will be different for sure, but I would just like to see our pack time decreasing with every meet as we get closer to State,” Ochoa said.