After losing some star runners to graduation, the girls’ cross country team must navigate some tough TVL competitors.

Under new captains, seniors Meghan Burdulis and Chloe Tumbelton and junior Wafiya Syeda, the Hillers have upheld a strong team culture and hope to continue fostering a positive team environment.

Looking ahead, junior captain Wafiya Syeda said, “We have some challenging meets coming up, so it’s going to be a little difficult.”

Fellow junior runner Jillian Toran agrees “the teams are definitely looking more challenging than last year.”

Despite their difficult schedule, Toran hopes the team performs well in the TVL.

The girls started off the season with a big win over Dedham.

After losing the next meet to Holliston, the Hillers remain positive after the loss, especially adding in the factor of runners being injured and sick.

Coach Alex Perry focuses on keeping the instructions for the runners simple.

“Showing up, having a good attitude, being ready to run, listening to what we tell you to do.”

The girls bounced back and beat rival Ashland.

“Ashland is a pretty strong team. The girls’ side is probably the strongest they’ve ever been,” head coach Jean Cann said.

As the season has unfolded, a focal point has been team bonding and culture.

“Team culture is really important for cross-country. Having a stronger team is always something that we try to improve on,” Syeda said.

The team bonding extends beyond the practices.

Toran said the team usually does a trip together, such as apple picking.

“I’m excited to get our team closer. I’m also excited for all of our spaggers.” Toran said=.

The senior class is relatively small compared to last year.

The future for the Hillers is looking positive, with the expectation to have some experienced leadership.

They have a large number of foreign exchange students new to the program, as well as some underclassmen runners, whom Toran referred to as valuable additions to the team.

“[Sana Kandasamy] has been doing amazing, and she’s one of our top runners. I’m really impressed with the way she’s adapted to the team. She’s an amazing runner.”

Syeda noted that the late league meets bring out a lot of personal records for the girls.

The Hillers finished with a mixed overall record and ultimately came in fourth in the TVL as the team season ended.