The 2023 season was a tremendous success for the Philip Simmons High girls' cross country team – and it ended with a major win for the team.
The girls scored their second consecutive Class AAA state championship title on Nov. 10 when the group participated in the South Carolina High School League state meets at Newberry College.
Coach Joshua Michael said for his team, it actually all started back in June when these girls started to build their training base. From the first day of practice the goal was always the same, "repeat as State Champions".
Michael said it was this goal that they kept returning to when things got tough, in the hottest days of the summer, and the constant 5 a.m. wakeups.
It certainly helped that this is a group of girls that is more like a family than a team.
“They are so close on and off the course, it makes us a really great team,” Michael said. “This family started with a group of senior girls that were seventh graders the year the team began. Josie May, Hailey Meyers, Grace Ward, and Emmy Wood have been here from the very beginning and have created a legacy that will go on for years to come.”
These four girls were responsible for five Region Championship teams, one state runner-up team and two state championship teams. Individually, they earned 19 All-Region Honors, 13 All-State Honors, and three Individual region champions.
“To say they had a successful end to their career would be an understatement,” Michael said.
Senior All-State Runner and Captain Emmy Wood said their team is like no other.
"At practice, we work hard and push each other, but still have so much fun together,” she said. “Our team is very close-knit, which I believe is a key aspect in why we are so successful.”
Crossing the finish line for the last time after 6 years of running cross country was very bittersweet. I was overly proud of every single runner on our team, but saddened to think I will never get to run with them again. We celebrated so much more than a state championship that day. We celebrated the hard work, resilience, and determination that it took to win this trophy.
The day of state was very surreal. Our team knew exactly what to do in order to win another state championship and we did just that. There are many runners who never get to experience the feeling of winning a state championship, so we cherished every second of the day."
Another highlight of the state meet was watching sophomore Avah Mallek win the individual State Championship, the first in girls team history.
"Winning gave me such a strong feeling of achievement,” Mallek said. “All the miles and training paid off as I achieved one of my biggest goals for the season."
Mallek credits her teammates with helping to create a culture where runners continue to develop and thrive.
"Being on a team like this is amazing, just to know I'm a part of a team that is so reliable, determined, and focused on winning,” she said. “Mostly just a team that cares so much about each other on and off the course."