Our baby girl 1st XC season

Our daughter decided that she was doing cross country reluctantly because we told that she needs to start thinking forward/to the future (i.e. college, trade school, etc) and those places will be looking for a well rounded person.  She started her amazing journey on the first day of 7th grade, the first Invitational was Wayne where she completed 1.5 miles in 15:38 (10:25/per mile).  It was good start and that's what we told her even though, she was walking at times and we/she knew that she could have ran the entire course but, didn't want to.  Throughout the season, we kept reminding her that she needed to run her own race and not worry about what her teammates were doing.  While they scored as a team, each of their times were individualize.  She learned that she liked wearing spikes for her races because it gave her a little extra.  As the season coming to close, she complained that she was coming down with a chest cold, her being stubborn as I am, refused to give in to it and able to keep it at bay until past Sunday (day after League Championships).  On Saturday, October 26, was her League Championship, she finally learned/accepted to the importance of running her own race and no one else's because she set goal to break 20 minutes for 2 miles, which wasn't unrealistic in that she ran 21:32 the weekend before.  Well, Saturday morning was cool fall morning, i.e. great race weather, well our baby girl "showed up" and finished in 19:02 (8:59/per mile), she finished 38th out of 72 modified girls.  Her team finished overall 3rd out of 7 teams that scored.  I'm beyond proud of her and all her accomplishments this season because while she competed in modified cross country, she maintain on her grades (i.e. honors), and was able of field band.  She gets to enjoy a few weeks before she starts indoor track starts as well as winter guard.