MOUNTULLA — West Rowan’s cross country girls have tightened up like a bunch of blue bananas all season.

And if the Falcons can hang together Saturday, they could make noise at the 3A state meet at Charlotte’s McAlpine Park.

“We were eighth at state last year and surprised everyone,” said West’s Natalie Jones. “This time we’re hoping for top three.”

Jones’ goal isn’t necessarily wishful thinking. West won’t have a front-runner, but it’s deep. In major meets like this, there will be wide separation between their rivals’ stars and staggerers. But the Falcons figure to cluster like a conga line in the upper middle and could score well.

West’s balance has paid off all fall. South’s Katie Willett won the Rowan County meet, but West took the team title by placing five in the top 11.

At last Saturday’s Midwest Regional at Dan Nicholas Park, the Falcons again bunched like Bradys. West claimed fourth — and a berth at state. West had no individual in the top 18, but five Falcons flew home between 19th and 44th.

West’s No. 6 and No. 7 runners technically didn’t count toward the team score, but still pitched in. They finished 45th and 54th and passed a passel of runners, hurting opponents’ point totals.

Fourteen competed this fall for coach Ken Houghton’s Falcons. But the squad had to trim to seven for regionals. Those seven include seniors Allison Moore and Jones; junior Ashley Haithcock; sophs Emily Wallace and Cara Graham; and freshmen Callie Houghton (fastest Falcon at regionals) and Devon Williams.

West’s girls have gotten lean and mean by cranking out roughly 30 miles a week. Their coach has gently pushed them and they’ve pushed each other. Through August heat and October chill.

The girls are so evenly matched that they run as one joke-cracking pack in practice. They string out a bit in meets, but all can negotiate 5,000-meter cross country courses (3.1 miles) in 21-22 minutes.

Wallace put those 20-odd minutes of self-imposed strain and pain in perspective.

“An aerobics class here was seeing how far they could run in 20 minutes,” she said. “They made it a mile and a half. Then they said, ‘How do you do it?’ ”

A better question might be why do you do it. Why push heart, lungs and legs to the limit for an audience consisting of immediate family?

“We all ask ourselves that and we have no answer,” laughed Jones, who has drilled clutch jump shots in front of cheering mobs in the West basketball gym. “Most of us got started in cross country to try and get in shape for other things. We ended up liking it.”

Mostly the girls like the camaraderie. And they like that very real sense of accomplishment at the end of a hard day.

“When you run, you feel like you did something,” said Wallace.

“Every day of cross country is work,” said Graham. “But every day is also fun.”

Jones said much of that fun comes from giving Coach serious grief. “We pick on him,” said Jones. “Because he runs with us and he’s the only guy.”

The Falcons claim they manage all the mileage by keeping songs in their heads. Callie Houghton says Travis Tritt’s “It’s a Great Day To Be Alive” keeps her going. Graham harmonizes along with the Dixie Chicks on “Ready to Run.”

But, of course, there’s a wise-gal in every bunch.

“I don’t sing anything,” announced Wallace. “I just ask how much further do we have to go.”

The answer to that is exactly 3.1 miles. One more meet. The big one.

Five of the seven have run McAlpine. The two freshmen haven’t, but their brothers did, so they’ve heard tales.

“The first mile’s flat,” said Jones. “Then you go up this big hill that feels like a mountain. Then you sprint straight down it. At the bottom, there’s this nice little turn. Then you run next to a swamp.”

To this bunch, that actually sounds like fun. And why not? They’re ready to run.

Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .