Haines High School’s cross-country teams were a bit short-handed at a meet in Juneau last weekend, on a course that may have seemed a bit longer than usual.

“This meet was all about that part of cross country that teaches perseverance, because they’re dealing with a cold going around the school, they’re dealing with a super-muddy, wet, cold course, and they all had to learn to push through it,” said coach Tara Bicknell.

Illness, travel…