Photo Credit - Valders Cross Country
The Valders Girls Cross Country Team is ready for this weekend’s WIAA State Cross Country meet.
Marci Skaletski, who has been the team’s head coach for the past three years, will escort the girls’ team to The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids for the meet, which will begin at noon on Halloween.
Coach Skaletski tells SeehaferNews.com that she is once again blown away by her athletes’ performances as they prepare for their third consecutive trip to state.
“They’re great together. All of them have worked really, really hard to get here. It wasn’t luck,” she explained. “They’ve all put in the time, put in the effort, and they just get along, they lift each other up, they cheer for each other, there’s none of the negative competition.”
Coach Skaletski says that something she is really happy to see from the team this year is how the upperclassmen have stepped up to help the underclassmen learn the ropes of cross country.
“We do have four runners that have made it to state for the past two years, so their leadership and their experience on the course and how to handle the pressure and the anxiety of state,” she noted. “We’ll really be looking to all four of them.”
Paige Backus is the team’s top runner, and she is looking forward to once again running in the state meet.
“I’m very excited, and it’s an honor to get to do it,” she said. “I’m preparing by focusing on my mental health and going into the race strong.”
Coach Skaletski says that another one of her top runners this year is Alyssa Wagner, who, as an upperclassman, really stepped up to be a leader on the team.
She calls Alyssa “a powerhouse of a runner,” who has been “incredibly consistent, taking her time down all year.”
Just like Paige, Alyssa is pumped to be at the state meet again and is excited to see what her team can accomplish.
“It’s pretty exciting. We have a good team and I’m just hoping that we all feel good with our race at state,” she told us.
Eliza Skaletski is a freshman on the team, and she is thankful that she got to compete all season with amazing coaches and teammates by her side.
“I’m excited to run this race,” she admitted. “I just want to be there and fight the competition and do the best I can.”
