Hawk's Eye View - October 3, 2025

Cross country is unlike any other sport. It is at once fiercely individual—each runner pushing toward a new personal record—and deeply collective, where every stride helps carry the team forward. It is not a sprint, but a marathon of growth, endurance, and determination.

This victory, like so many that we hope our students experience in life, reflects so much more than miles run. It mirrors the classroom experience we hope for every Harding student: when each individual does their very best, the whole community thrives. Every child here has coaches and teachers who encourage them not just to achieve, but to endure, to grow, and to believe in themselves—laying a foundation for success in high school and beyond.

Special congratulations go to our top 10 finishers, whose grit and perseverance lifted their teams to victory: Josephine Perkinson (1st, girls’ individual champion), Eliza Gray Neal (2nd), Grace Thigpen (8th), Ayman Abuali (2nd), Jet Taylor (6th), and Leo Galentino (10th). Their determination, along with the powerful efforts of every runner who set new personal records, carried Harding to this historic achievement. But perhaps the truest victory is this: the endurance they are building now—on the course and in the classroom—will carry them through the many miles ahead, as lifelong learners and leaders.