Cross country, a sport that blends endurance, strategy and raw grit, pushes athletes to race over varied terrain—from rolling hills to muddy trails—testing both physical stamina and mental resilience. Senior cross country runner Liam Snow knows this challenge all too well.
Snow has run cross country since his freshman year. After four years running in cross country, it is time for him to hang up the running shoes and focus on what comes next.

“I plan to run in a junior college,” Snow said. “I plan to do this so that I can continue to run at the collegiate level for another six years.

The team carries out workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with lighter runs on Thursdays. They  have more runs on Saturdays and then an off day on Sunday. Even with all of this preparation, it isn’t always a clear shot ahead to success, and injuries happen a lot in sports.

“I got injured about halfway through the season for about four weeks,” Snow said. “After that, I came back, and my first run back, I ran a 16:47.”
His leadership has poured onto others during his time on the team.

“I think that my consistency and progress I’ve made through that consistency pours into my teammates,” Snow said. “And I think that inspires more consistency through my teammates.”

Liam has also had to manage academically.

“I simply do assignments whenever I can,” Snow said. “I do them at the first chance once they’re assigned so I don’t have to worry about it as much.”

During his second run back, he finished 11th place with a time of 17:35 and helped his team win the district championship. Snow said he has grown immensely under the leadership of Head Cross Country Coach Jake Alexander.

“I came in with a young team and a small team,” Alexander said. “We’ve done a really good job of just working together to build a positive culture at Cedar Park, and I think that’s what helped lead us to the district championship and both teams qualifying for region.”

Alexander said that Snow has a very unique personality that contributes to the team dynamic.

“What I love about Liam is you never know what you are going to get,” Alexander said. “He’s come to practice with two left shoes. Sometimes, he might be a little bit late or twenty minutes early, and he has such a positive attitude in wanting to change the next generation. He’s kind of like a wild card we love to have around.”

Sophomore Grant Cummins has run alongside Liam for two seasons now. He said their bond has affected him greatly.

“[Our] chemistry is very strong,” Cummins said. “He pushes me through every run and keeps me on track. He has taught me the culture of Cedar Park. He’s a great senior to be around. He’s crazy and energetic, and he always brings the mood up when you need it.”

With Liam Snow graduating he says a few words of encouragement for future cross country runners.

“I think they should stay consistent” Snow said, “All of their progress will continuously build on itself until they are able to reach their goals.”