On Thursday, Nov. 6, the Oak Park cross country team secured a league sweep title for the second year in a row, having a team winner and individual winner in all six races. The team went undefeated in all levels for the rest of their league meets as well, stopping any other team from claiming the top of the podium.

While cross country may seem like an individual sport, it is actually far from it. Runners must work together to build up a team score in each race, determined by combining the top five runners’ finishing places into the smallest number possible. In cross country, every runner and every place, every opponent passed makes a difference.

This kind of collaboration cannot be accomplished without a strong sense of community and team spirit. For the Oak Park cross country girls, some of the biggest contributors to this sense of sisterhood are their seniors, making the team feel more like a family than just a sport.

To read about the five seniors who lead this exceptional team, read the stories below.