JOHN SHERMAN john. sherman @ apgecm. com

Edina girls cross country practice is the one place on campus where you’ ll find joy and happiness.

Captains Lillian Dodd, Kasja Howe, Liberty Nelson and Finley Tooley make sure of that. Whether a runner is a senior or a seventh-grader all comers are welcome.

“ The best thing about the team is the chance to make new friends,” Nelson said after a recent workout at Edina Community Center.

Residents of Edina are used to seeing members of the girls cross country team on the trails, bridges and tree-lined streets in the community. The athletes

are always in motion, sometimes even smiling, as they make the rounds.

Head girls cross country coach Matt Gabrielson likes the fitness aspect of cross country almost as much as the four state championships his teams have won. The captains promote fitness, while at the same time teaching the values of the program.

Tooley began running Edina cross country as a seventh-grader and talked about how she has come full circle over a six-year period.“ I used to be one of the young runners getting rides to practice from older teammates,” she said.“ Now I’ m one of the older girls who gives younger teammates rides. The whole group

of girls has grit and confidence, and there are a lot of really kind people.”

This summer the girls going out for the cross country team were invited to a four-day, three-night camp in Annandale.“ The camp is one of our team traditions,” Tooley said.“ We stayed in cabins with squirrels and chipmunks all around.”

“ We have a lot of up-and-coming runners this year,” Howe said.“ A lot of my friends are on the team, and we make new friends all the time.”

“ A lot of us ran every day this summer,” Nelson added.“ We also did some strength training, which

See GIRLS CC | PAGE 11

( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN)

Friendship rules when the Edina girls cross country captains pose for a photo after practice. From left to right are: Kasja Howe, Liberty Nelson, Lillian Dodd and Finley Tooley.

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