By Jake Panos

Sprinting towards the finish line, in hopes of making it to state,  The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Girls Cross Country team competed in Solon for the state qualifiers Oct. 19. The top 15 girls finishers automatically qualified for state. Sophomore Aubrey Frey did just that by finishing 15th for class 3A. She will be the only Mount Vernon-Lisbon Girls’ Cross Country runner competing in state Saturday.

“To prepare for state, I am making sure to do my best every day in practice and getting plenty of rest,” Frey said about the big race. “If anyone is wanting to join cross country, just go for it. You never know what you are capable of and you honestly might surprise yourself,” she said. The state meet is widely regarded as the most difficult of the year. “During the last mile of your race your brain is telling you to stop but your legs just keep going,” said Frey, who ran last year when her team qualified for state. Frey will run at the state meet knowing that she has the perfect opportunity to showcase over the past several months. The state meet will take place in Fort Dodge on Saturday, Oct. 28.