A great season for the girls cross country team has come to an end. Their hard work has definitely paid off as the team had several standout moments and an overall fantastic season.

For starters, at the beginning of the season, the team won the Gateway Invitational and three of the girls came in the top 10, a huge accomplishment and great start for Bethel.

Towards the end of the season, on October 23, the girls team placed 4th overall at the WPIAL finals.

Notably, juniors Dani Hinish and Karissa Coffield took 9th and 16th place respectively in the WPIAL championships. Their performances qualified both of the girls for the PIAA state championships which took place in Hershey this past Saturday, Nov. 1.

“It’s a huge honor to be running with the best! It’s a dream come true. The race is really hard though, you have so much adrenaline rushing through you and the nerves are eating at you at the same time,” Coffield said.

In the end, Hinish placed 70th and Coffield placed 131st at states, a fantastic finish for the girls.

Hinish said, “Hershey was a great learning experience for me. You have to race something first to come back and do well. I enjoyed the course and all of the excitement!”

Who knows what next year will bring for girls cross country as they continue to grow and improve together as a team.