Sports

Austin Senior Sydney Lewis to Run Her Final State Meet at Majestic Oaks

By Rocky Hulne

Austin senior Sydney Lewis, a long‑time member of the Packer cross country program, will run her last race for the team at the Class AA state meet on Saturday at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake. The race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and will be Lewis’s fourth appearance at the state meet. "I’ve been around the program since 2012 with my siblings," Lewis said. "It’s definitely crazy seeing that things are coming to an end, but I realize how much I’ve grown from being around the program for so long. I’ve had so many different teammates and we’ve had so much fun." Lewis recently broke her older sister Abby’s program record, although she was unaware of the achievement until someone told her afterward. Despite her competitive nature, Lewis remains modest about her successes. When she was younger she said she would never run, but she joined cross country seeking a supportive community and found it. She finished 42nd at last year’s state meet and expects to be near the front this season. "It definitely changes like every year there’s certain girls that will graduate, and depending on the year you’ll see different times, but people will get faster and things change so much," Lewis said. She values the camaraderie among teammates, noting that everyone runs their own race while supporting one another. "Everyone goes out there and tries their best and everybody runs their own race," she said. "Everybody is working towards their individual goal, but we still all come together as a team for each other. We have fun, we make the best of it as we can always be there for each other no matter what." As she prepares for her final high school cross country season, Lewis reflects on her journey and thanks her coaches, friends, family, and supporters for their encouragement and belief in her.