The GCS Cross Country program provides a means to teach how a Christian should compete on the course as well as function in other aspects of life. GCS athletes must participate in such a way that honors their team, our school and the Lord.
Grace Christian is committed to developing a perspective on winning and losing that is consistent with the teachings of the scripture. We expect our athletes to dedicate themselves to this goal. Our challenge is to be in contrast to a sports world that emphasizes winning at any cost. Winning should be one of our goals, but we recognize that sports presents a beneficial learning experience, regardless of the outcome.
The mission of Grace Christian Athletics is to provide an excellent sports program that will help our students develop their God-given abilities. We want our student-athletes to honor and glorify God in all that they do (I Corinthians 10:31). Athletics is something that God allows us to do, not something that defines us. We need to make God first place in our lives (Matthew 6:33).
GCS is a 3A Independent school in the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA).
The Middle School Cross Country team is available to students grades 6 through 8. This foundational stage of development is the most important level of learning for our Basketball program, and includes:
Middle school Cross Country gives us an opportunity to introduce and teach the fundamental aspects of running and stretching.
Middle School Cross Country teams practice/or play at least 4x a week. Wednesday is normally the off day for Middle School Cross Country practice.
The privilege to wear the GCS Varsity Cross Country uniform is reserved for our top athletes, grades 7 through 12, who have mastered fundamentals with an increased intensity for excellence, competition, and complexity of Cross Country strategies. Varsity Cross Country athletes demonstrate a consistent display of the core Christlike character traits of our athletic program: Diligence, Endurance, Boldness, Obedience, Faith, Humility, and Dependability.
Varsity Cross Country runners must be prepared to compete for their role on the team and work to keep it. Seniority of a player is not a factor. Our Varsity Cross Country runners are judged on athletic ability, work ethic, attitude, and knowledge of the coach’s strategies.
Competing to win is strongly emphasized, without sacrificing the display and the development of Christ-like character. GCS Varsity Cross Country athletes are expected to act accordingly to their roles on the team, and contribute unselfishly in accordance with their abilities. Playing time will be determined solely by the coach/coaches. Coaches will not discuss playing time or strategy.
Varsity Cross Country team practices/or competes at least 5x a week with possible Saturday practices and meets.
The GCS Cross Country Program runs during our Fall competition season, with tryouts and practices beginning during the summer. If you’d like more information about the GCS Cross Country Program, or to register for tryouts, please contact our Athletic Director.
GCS hosts a Cross Country Camp each summer for 5th through 12th grade.
The purpose of the camp is to work on individual skills and help runners prepare for the Fall season.
The Grace Campus serves as the primary facility for our Cross Country team as we host meets that use a majority of our campus to make up our 3.1 mile course. Our Varsity team also practices and hosts meets at Kiwanis Park.
Players from each team are selected for the following annual awards:
We are extremely proud our our GCS Alumni who have gone on to run college cross country:
Abby McNeill, ℅ 2023: Campbell University
Gavin Lenz, ℅ 2022: Campbell University
Jackson Cole, ℅ 2021: Central Carolina Community College
