Hip to hip, Panther girls head to State

Cross country is a team sport, though it’s often hard to tell. Yes, the running part is up to the individual — but in the best of worlds, team members help each other out. Jefferson High’s Lady Panthers refer to this as pushing and pulling: If you’re behind a teammate, you challenge them to pick up the pace; if you pass them, you encourage them to come along.

“The coaches tell us, when you pass, pat your hip,” says 9th grader Emma Ahlers. “It tells them, come on, you got it. You can keep up with me; you’re strong enough.”

The hip-pat is an economical gesture, but a meaningful one: the message is that we’re all in this together, believing in and boosting each other. And as this year’s girls’ team prepares for Friday’s state title showdown in Missoula, there may be no more apt message.