Midseason Filly XC
By: Katarina Black, staff writer
Filly Cross-Country is in full swing as the season is in its midpoint. The runners are back in shape from the summer and have competed in five races so far. Running injuries are slowly popping up, and with only one day a week without having to run, the Fillies are adapting to quick recovery in different ways. The Fillies have won many races or have come close. With a strong team and a highly competitive top varsity this season, it makes for fun races to watch and an interesting season for runners, parents, and coaches.
The Fillies have won the 3A category in the Cheyenne state preview, as well as finishing in a close second place in the Belgrade Invitational. Lillie Kirkham, a Junior at CHS, ended up running the Cheyenne state preview barefoot because of painful blisters. Raina Wacob, a sophomore and the current number one runner, won the Belgrade invitational.
Lillie Kirkham pushes through the race after removing her spikes.
The Fillies then moved on to run in the Wayne Chaney Invitational in Gillette. They had many Cody runners in the top 15, aside from one Fillie dropping out due to heat stroke. Raina Wacob took first place, Hailie Schramm in second, Katarina Black in fourth, Sadie Wacob in fifth, Mersades Jackson in sixth, Danielle Foote in seventh, Reyna Jones in twelfth, Sunday Schuh in thirteenth, and Kylee Silva in fifteenth. In the JV race, Skye Neilson came in first by a landslide. Following Gillette, the next week the Fillies raced in the Michelle Ludwig Invitational. This was the girl's first chance to PR (Personal Record) this season. Their top seven varsity made it in the top 15. The JV team swept the podium with their four girls in the top four places.
The Fillies moved on to the next week to Worland, aside from the fact that they had to miss their Homecoming afternoon, they still put in decent effort, and the team won the overall race.
This season is an extremely competitive one. Not only is there stiff competition from their rivals from Powell, but there is also high competition on their varsity team. Assistant coach Shafer remarked on the greatness of the 2025 girls' team during their “worst workout of the year,” ( 0.9-mile loops going up and down a steep hill at their 5k race pace on a route at the river below Cody). “This is one of the best the entire girls' team has ever done on this workout in a long time.”
A strong team will still have issues, though. As the midpoint of the season comes in, so do running-related injuries. A handful of girls on the team cross-train during workouts due to the repetitive motions of running, causing many aches and pains. Running injuries can be prevented with strength training during the team’s circuit workouts, although there is only so much they can do, especially since they cannot allow much time to recover fully.
The Fillie Cross-Country team is in peak season. They have been to four races with four more to come. This is a highly competitive season, both within the team and the Cody/Powell rivalry. The team maneuvers around injuries, sickness, and tiredness. The Fillies are currently on track to place well and potentially win State this 2025 season.