Shiner
Shiner ISD

Shiner cross-country: Lady Comanche runners to use 'drive' to drive themselves to success at state

  • Hayleigh Burns and the rest of the Shiner Lady Comanches run late Friday morning at the state cross-country meet in Round Rock.Photo by Mark Lube.
    Hayleigh Burns and the rest of the Shiner Lady Comanches run late Friday morning at the state cross-country meet in Round Rock.Photo by Mark Lube.

    The Shiner Lady Comanches cross-country team have created quite the recipe for success as they prep for their third straight team trip to state later this week.
    Head coach Michelle Winkenwerder said the ladies are always willing to push their own envelopes, and will not accept either complacency or mediocrity.
    “These young ladies are people of action.  I have challenged them multiple times throughout the season and they have always chosen to rise up and seize that moment,” she said. “When you have young people that are willing to try something new and move forward from their current position, prosperity usually follows.  The leadership of this team made their decisions years ago that mediocrity and failure were not going to be acceptable on their team(s) and this is why Shiner has seen multiple years of success at its highest levels.”  
    A lot more than placing, timing and scores have propelled the Lady Comanches back to Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.
    “What I hope the members of this team take away from these experiences is that it is so much more than winning that has led us to this point.  It is about learning to be a teammate that is willing to serve and work hard for the common good of their unit,” Winkenwerder said.  “I have watched over the years as our upperclassmen have learned to take the reins of leadership and in times of adversity, rise to greatness and take responsibility for the success of their team.   For us, the focus has always been walking up Monument Hill at the end of the year, arm in arm, knowing that we have gotten the opportunity  to run in the last race of the year with our teammates.”
    Winkenwerder said she pushes the runners because she recognizes they are above-average athletes with big dreams and the fortitude to pull out the stops to make those dreams happen.
    “They have the power and passion to control their future destinies in whatever endeavor they seek to accomplish with their lives.  It is these qualities that I have seen in many of our past and present runners that have made Shiner cross country what you see today,” she said. “Passion and unbelievable work ethic can turn average into extraordinary, help overcome unexpected obstacles, and motivates those on the sidelines to become part of something very special.  With running, its not always about beating another runner or team, but finding that strength inside yourself to do something better than you have ever done it before.”   
    The Lady Comanches are set to run at 11:40 p.m. in the girls 2A two miles. For more information, go to https://www.uiltexas.org/cross-country/state.