Runners often have to be self-dependent in order to achieve success, which is why many believe that cross country is an individual sport. At LM, however, the cross country programs are built on team unity, consistency, and mental toughness. In recent years, boys’ cross-country coach, Dallas Alexander, and girls’ coach Marchelle Else have been greatly successful, leading to many top finishes for their teams at league championships as well as invitationals both in and out of state. Most recently with the boys’ varsity team competing in Alabama’s Southern Showcase and having strong leading second and fourth place finishes. Meanwhile, the girls had an impressive finish at their second Central League meet on September 16, with Paige Evans ’27 finishing in fourth place.
On the boys’ side, Alexander establishes a team culture with an emphasis on workout commitment and consistently showing up to help the team be its best. In high school, these are the biggest factors for athlete success. Team captain Alex Mazzeo ’26 emphasized how the coaching staff and talented athletes have contributed to their success: “I think we’ve just had strong talent coming in over the past few years and more stability within the coaching staff has allowed many of us to develop year over year. It takes a long time to build a consistently successful program and we’re just getting started.” One example of coaching consistency is through a combination of different types of training. This includes pool workouts, strength training, cross training, and other techniques. Alexander encourages the idea of variety in training to get his athletes ready on race day.
Meanwhile, the girls’ team has reached success in a different way. Although workouts and race strategy play a huge part in creating a dominating team, Else states that the reason the girls’ cross-country program continuously achieves success throughout the years is due to athlete mindset and discipline: “The reason the cross-country program continues to develop and improve is in large part the athletes. It isn’t a sport for the weak of heart. It is hard, even painful at times. Everyone has the opportunity to become a better runner. You get out what you put in.” This reflects LM girls’ values throughout the years and shows that the sport demands mentally tough athletes. Team captain Sophia Fendo ’26 agrees in this aspect and states that “the bond among the girls on our team is built on unity, support, and shared strength. Always being there for each other and pushing each other to be our best.” However, cross country’s role as a team sport really puts emphasis on the mental aspect of every athlete, which is a key part in creating a dominating team.
Hailey Miller ’26 explains that cross country has always been more demanding mentally than physically for her. “Cross country to me is more of a mental sport than a physical one. Mental discipline truly equals ultimate success. You must distract your mind while running and think about the positive outcomes, not the negative ones. A big piece of racing is learning to stay focused on the race even when it feels uncomfortable, and that is called mental toughness.” Many athletes that participate in cross country would agree on the mental aspects. However, for Else, a successful team extends not just from logging weekly miles but from working on all aspects of being an athlete. “I make a point to develop the entire athlete, focusing on different types of workouts in order to train for the various aspects of racing. We train speed, hills, endurance, threshold, and recovery runs. We add in strength, core, hip mobility, and physical therapy sessions. It is a balancing act to train, race, and still allow for recovery. It is a sport like no other!” In general, many athletes on the team would agree with the fact that adding these other elements to their running routine makes them better and stronger runners.
All of this goes to show that the LM cross-country teams’ success isn’t necessarily measured in wins, record-breaking times, or personal records. Instead, their success comes from the root principles of mental strength, teamwork, discipline, consistency, and resilience. Both programs show us what can be accomplished when the team is unified and perseverant. The combination of all these aspects is what has made LMXC a dominant program over the years.
