After months of preparation and a year’s worth of anticipation, the chance to make history finally arrived for Milford High School’s girls and boys cross country teams.   

The Milford High School girls cross country team finished third out of 27 teams at the 2015 MHSAA State Finals on Saturday, Nov. 7th, and the boys team took seventh place.

Both Milford teams put together many great pre-season practices and hoped to keep things rolling into the fall season, where they had tremendous success.

The expectations for the girls at this meet were set high. Head coach Brian Salyers said that going into the meet he wanted the girls to focus on doing their personal best, and being there for the other teammates. He wanted to see all their hard work that they have put into this whole season pay off with a rewarding place in the state meet.

As for the boys team, Salyers expectations were slightly different, for all the runners on this year’s team have never ran in a state meet before.

“We hope to place in at least the top 10,” Salyers said before the finals. “The boys have been working extremely hard this year and I can’t wait to see what they can do at this meet. We’ve had a few dual meet losses, but we aren’t going to let that put us down. Let’s just say we are going to let the running do the talking.”

The girls and the boys were both excited to race together as a team and see how they would compare to the other teams like Seaholm because they knew that team was really competitive and knew it would be exciting to compete against them, said Junior runner Jack Aman.

“We are all hoping to just go out there and have a good day,” said junior runner Mallory Barrett, before the meet. “We all have a goal to get personal records and can’t wait to be competitive with each other.”

Both teams performed well at the State Meet, but the girls had more experience and really excelled. They have had more girls run in a state meet before, so they were more familiar with the course.

“Part of what made the girls team so successful this year was that they were committed to excellence,” Salyers said. “In everything they did, their goal was to achieve at the highest level. And this commitment was held throughout the team and at every level. They have such a playful nature and fun spirit, but when it was time to get down to business, they did their part and did excellent.”

The runners said part of their success could also be because they were so close with each other and we knew how to work well with teammates.

“We looked out for each other like we were one big family,” Barrett says.

Victoria Heiligenthal, a Freshman runner, said part of what makes the team strong is the support and bond they have within the group. She said they are always cheering one another on, whether in practice or at a meet and they are together and there for one another whenever and wherever they may be.

Both boys and girls teams had great years. They should be proud of themselves, and proud to not only represent Milford High School, but to represent their family and their teammates as well, Salyers said.

“All of the Milford High School Cross Country team members should take pride in their affiliation with this program. Each athlete will gain a greater knowledge of the importance of training, mental focus, and time management,” Salyers said.

The runners will employ their knowledge to become the best possible athletes they can be. The dedication to these ideals will develop an affection for running that fosters an interest as a participant and spectator for the rest of their lives.

The success at States was a positive way to end the cross country season. Hopefully, both Milford teams will come back even stronger next year. This year’s success continues the long tradition of outstanding performances by the Milford cross country teams.