​This summer brings back some familiar faces back to the Big Orange cross country program with WLS alumni volunteering to help with the Run Club and high school girls team.  A reminder to all of us that Big Orange is family.
 
Katelyn Stapleton is a recent graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, where she was a member of the Bishops' cross country and track and field programs.
 
"If I could tell my younger self as a runner anything it would be this-Katelyn, keep finding the joys in each run and each workout.  The workouts (with the exception of speed development because obviously it was my favorite), aren't so horrible.  They're the bread and butter that gives you the fitness needed to accomplish the things we want to achieve.  And these workouts are time spent with teammates, and that time fades fast and soon you'll be wishing you could go back, even if that means dying in the 80 degree weather on the hills of the Ohio Caverns.  It's a balance between serious and fun, commitment and enjoyment, and it's all worth it, so keep showing up, working hard and keep that fire burning."
 
Katelyn will be teaching third grade at London City Schools in the fall.
 
Megan Adams is headed into her senior year at Lee University in Tennessee, where she is majoring in Health Sciences and is a member of the Flames cross country and track and field teams.  Megan plans on pursuing her masters in Nutrition and Dietetics.
 
"Always run with joy," is what Megan would tell her younger self.  She also advises to prioritize strength training and injury prevention.
 
Addison McAuley will be a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders.  Addison is also a member of the Wildcat's club cross country and track and field teams.
 
Addison's advice to her younger self is "slow down and enjoy every second."
 
Also volunteering were Mallory Bostick, Claire Longshore and Ashley Yoder.  Mallory will be a sophomore at Otterbein University, where she's a member of the track and field team and majoring in Zoo and Conservation Science.  Claire Longshore is employed in the dental field and is planning to pursue a degree in dental hygiene.  Ashley Yoder will be a sophomore at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, majoring in Exercise Science.  She's also a member of the cross country and track and field teams.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- After finishing in 56th at the UNA Invitational, Megan Adams (West Liberty-Salem HS) was named the Gulf South Conference freshman of the week. Adams ran the 5K race in 18:01 to come in 54th. She helped the Lee University women's cross country team earn a seventh-place finish at the North Alabama Showcase.

The Lady Flames, ranked No. 10 in NCAA Division II, placed three runners in the top 40 on their way to recording 204 points. Alabama was the top team with 73 points, while Kentucky was right behind with 78. Georgia Tech (110), Auburn (125) and Kennesaw State (189) rounded out the top five teams. Southern Miss was just ahead of Lee in sixth with 196 points.

The Lady Flames will be in action again on October 1 in the 21st Annual Live in Lou Cross Country Classic at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky.