Back from the North Woods!

Hey everyone!

We just returned from a WONDERFUL training trip in Ely, MN! The team really came together and bonded over the week and we came back with a great mix of new enthusiasm and senior leadership. The team has big goals for another awesome season on and off the course. Enjoy a few video clips from the week that will give you an idea of the team, coaches and captains "in their element".






Ely, the upperclassmen, coaches and team according to the freshmen:

On their freshmen classmates:
"I LOVE THEM!! I really feel like we all get along great. Nobody seems to compare themselves to anyone and everyone seems so comfortable being themselves. I really think we are going to grow stronger together through our four years."
-Laura Docherty, St. Paul, MN

"I LOVE THEM! It is so nice to finally have other people who have the same goals, hopes and habits as me."
-Missa Varpness, Montevideo, MN

"It's freaky how everyone is so similar but so unique. We instantly clicked and I couldn't have asked for better teammates to share these next four years with."
-Michelle Volz, Lakeville, MN


On the overall Ely experience:
"We do so much more than run here! I thought it would be a lot more running and training, but it's very balanced. It's so much fun here!!"
-Kayla Wagner, Baldwin, WI

"The food was soooooo good! I was not expecting delicious food!"
-Rachel Drake, White Bear Lake, MN

"I really didn't know what to expect but I thought everyone would be so competitive and it turned out that everyone works hard together and is so supportive and they really want you to succeed!"
-Michelle Volz, Lakeville, MN

On the upperclassmen:
"They were all very welcoming and made camp a great experience. I learned that even though the seem so experienced now, they were once in the same boat as us. Also, they put XC into perspective with the rest of life-IT'S FUN!"
-Kelli Budd, Omaha, NE

"They are real people and not too good to talk to you!"
-Rachel Drake, White Bear Lake, MN

"They are all incredibly nice and extremely willing to help out!"
-Annie Talajkowski, White Fish Bay, WI

On the coaches:
"I think both of them are great coaches and I really trust both of them! Both are very nice and easy to talk to. I'm really looking forward to having them as my coaches for the next four years."
-Maggie Bollig, Middleton, WI

"Coach Wilson and Coach Hesser are such loving and caring people who genuinely care about all of us. They are super great people as well as great coaches :)"
-Kayla Wagner, Baldwin, WI

"Very uplifting and positive. Unlike some other coaches, they understand that we are just freshmen and have a lot of things to work on before we can jump to the next step!"
-Kelli Budd, Omaha, NE

"They are the most perfect coaches in the world. I feel like Wilson knows what I am thinking more than I do, and they truly care about each athlete as an individual. I can't imagine running for anyone else!"
-Michelle Volz, Lakeville, MN


Thanks for checking in on the University of Minnesota Women's Cross Country team! Check back in on Monday for news and results from this weekends Intrasquad meet :)