The Lumen Christi girls cross country team is known for its traditions, but what exactly are these infamous activities that the runners love so much? Some of the traditions are decades old and were introduced on the original team over 40 years ago while others have sprung up more recently. One of the newest traditions that has gained popularity is “the stick.” This tradition began only one year ago as an attempt to boost morale among the team during Covid. A stick was found on the cross country course at Ella Sharp that the girls decorated and now pass around on meet days. If a runner is given the stick, she cannot give it back to the person who gave it to her. The goal is not to have the stick at the end of the day, and whoever has it must wear an ugly shirt that says “stuck with the stick.”

The stick shirt was designed during another traditional activity: T-shirt tie-dyeing. In this tradition, the girls all get shirts with their logo that they tie-dye at their summer day camp. Once the T-shirts are dyed, the runners write quotes on the backs of their shirts about running. Some of the quotes are funny, and others are motivational. After the shirts are completed, the members of the team wear them on meet days and at the Alumni Run.

The Alumni Run is an old tradition that takes place at Ella Sharp Park. It is a race hosted by the current team on Labor Day weekend and in which all alumni are invited to compete against the team. This year’s race attracted a large crowd of alumni ranging from members on the first team to 2020 graduates. It is not uncommon for alumni to race wearing their old tie-dyed shirts. Although the dye has faded for some of the older runners’ shirts, the sense of tradition and connection to the team remains strong for all Lumen Christi runners, past and present.