Adel-DeSoto-Minburn junior Addy Bjork shares an area of emphasis that the Cross County coaching staff has instilled in her, which she can use as a senior leader in 2026.

Bjork reveals that growing up, she quickly discovered that sports involving a ball weren’t for her, and resorted to running, where she fell in love with the activity. Bjork explains her family are huge supporters of hers, detailing her mom leaves notes on race days and her grandparents come to as many meets as possible. She praises the coaches for disciplining the team, but also giving the runners confidence.

“I think Coach Sara (Schwertfeger) has helped us a lot with minimizing complaining. Obviously, the workouts are going to be difficult, especially on hard days, but just having a positive mindset, and knowing that we can do it has been super beneficial for our team.”

Bjork says her favorite memory with the team is an overnight stay at the Dayton House, as she believes that it helps bring the girls closer. ADM qualified to the state meet in Fort Dodge this year, where the Tigers finished 11th overall and Bjork ran a time of 20 minutes and 35 seconds.