Cross-country is a 5K (3.1miles) run mostly off road over natural terrain. While it is a team sport where the top 5 to 7 runners of a team are used to compete for the lowest team score, the primary goal of this group is to offer home school students a fun outlet to improve their personal physical fitness level and hopefully help establish a healthy, active lifestyle. Finishing times vary anywhere from sub 18 minutes to 40 minutes.
Home school students in 6th through 12th grades may participate, subject to the PAC Panther Eligibility Policy. There are no tryouts for cross country! This is a sport that is not limited by participation numbers. Everyone who practices makes the team, receives a uniform, and will participate in meets whenever possible.
Practice begins in July with meets beginning in late August. The season concludes at the end of October. Meets typically involve several public schools and/or private schools competing at once and can include a Men’s Varsity run, followed by a Ladies’ Varsity run then a coed Junior Varsity run. Click here to see the roster, schedule and results from our 2011 season!
During the Fall 2011 season, the cost to be on the team was $70 which included PAC admin fee, PAC t-shirt, uniforms, and meet fees. Additional expenses paid by the athletes on their own typically include proper running shoes, sports watch, transportation to events, etc. All runners must have completed a sports physical no earlier than April 1st of the current season and no later than the first day of practice.
To simplify the challenges of commuting across town, there are two locations for practices. Irmo and Northeast Columbia participants practice separately, but are combined to compete as one team in meets. (Runners are encouraged to attend both Irmo and NE practices.)
For more information, please contact:
Head Coach / Irmo
Tina Reinhard – rtreinhard@yahoo.com
803-732-9577
Assistant Coach / Northeast
Eric Barfield – ebarfield@hopeaviation.com
803-269-1908