The Bearden cross country teams have had good starts to their season, thanks in large part to the success of their two freshman standouts.

Leading the Lady Bulldogs is freshman Millie Lovett and leading the boys is freshman Cade Crum. At the first meet of the year, Lovett finished in 12:51 and Crum in 10:35, good enough for 10th and 3rd place, respectively.

Lovett’s 5k personal record of 19:35 is good enough for 39th in the state, and Crum’s 16:22 currently has him 30th in the state.

“In the last two meets, Millie Lovett and Cade Crum have led both our girls and boys teams to great finishes,” cross country coach Ashley Schott said. “Both Millie and Cade have had incredible starts to the season, and we are excited to see how they continue to improve as we move into October.”

Motivation is a prominent trait in this year’s class, as they are always fighting to place higher and run faster. 

“My motivation comes from all my team supporting me and all my friends and family,” Crum said. “Some also comes from the thought that first place is always within reach.”

Added Lovett: “I’ve always been a runner, but up until a year and a half ago I wasn’t taking it seriously, but I’ve tried other sports and nothing really stuck. But running makes me happy, and I have so many goals for myself.”

To get impressive times, a good training regime is a must – whether that be from intense distance running or from laid back quick runs. 

“My training is 2-3 tough workouts a week with a long run and other recovery/easy runs,” Crum said. 

Added Lovett: “I run six days a week. Saturdays are my long runs, so currently I’m running 12 miles every Saturday, and I have three workout days a week.”

The cross country team’s next meet is the Johnson University Invitational on Saturday. 

“Both our boys and girls freshmen teams are looking strong as we began our competitive season,” Coach Schott said. “We are looking towards our freshman group to help contribute to our team scores as we move through the season.”