[Updated for accuracy, misquoting.]
The Fleetwood Area High School (FAHS) Cross-Country team has really excelled in terms of performance this year.
Current FAHS Cross-Country Coach Abigail Missimer says that the coach she had in her college season was the “worst coach [she’d] ever had,” describing the climate as a “warzone” and “forcing [her] into retirement” before she began her own coaching career. Missimer asserts that Fleetwood has become her “home away from home.”
“I was mistreated and undervalued by my collegiate coach,” Missimer said. “While that coach pushed me to retire from running, I still had the calling to make a difference in Cross Country. When I got into coaching, I vowed to be the best coach I could be by utilizing the bad experience to better serve the student athletes on my teams. In the two years I have coached High School Cross Country at Fleetwood Area, I have sent 6 girls and 3 boys to the PIAA District 3 Cross Country Championship Meet. Next year, we are looking to send at least 1 boy and 1 girl to PIAA State Championships.”
All high school cross-country athletes run 3.1 miles each meet in a test for endurance and speed.
“I am excited to actually be able to fully run in the fall of next year for [Coach Brandon Missimer] as one of my coaches. Coach Abby has always been an amazing coach for the 2 years she has been coaching me. I respect and agree with every choice she makes for her teams; each of the choices that has been made benefits the team in some way,” freshman athlete Madison Henderson, currently out on injury, said.
Across the Middle School and High School Teams, the student-athletes have achieved 32 career personal records and 42 season personal records. The high school team by itself achieved 23 Career Personal Records and 32 Season Personal Records.
Mikayla Moore, Jared Gruber, and Eufemio Ventura qualified at PIAA District 3 Cross Country Championships. Mikayla Moore made the Honorable Mention Team, second year in a row, at Districts.
“While this year may not have gone as planned for some, as a whole, each student-athlete has achieved something great this season, and we are looking forward to what the 2026-27 season will have in store for us,” Missimer said.
The Tiger Times 
Anonymous
December 15, 2025
I’ve heard some of my friends in cross country talk about these critiques- it’s interesting to see their thoughts on the situation get published.
Anonymous
December 15, 2025
All indictments of this article have not been directed towards its accuracy. That raises some questions about the motivations of some commentators. Hm….🤔
Anonymous
December 15, 2025
This is pure journalism. BRAVO TO THE BRAVE JOURNALIST WHO COVERED THIS DECISIVE ISSUE!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous
December 15, 2025
this article is great don’t listen to anyone
Anonymous
December 12, 2025
I frankly think this article is disrespectful to the runners and coaches on the cross country team and I don’t believe that people outside of cross country should comment on the state of the team it is out of touch and unfair since they do not know the details.
Anonymous
December 12, 2025
I feel as though it is unfair and disrespectful to report about a topic that revolves around a group you are not a part of as though you were a close member. I also feel as though it unkindly characterizes and misrepresents the team in a bad light. Please do not post an article about something you yourself have no knowledge of or experience in, especially in a negative context. Please also do not use quotes out of context. That just outright disrespects and disregards basic journalistic integrity. Also it is out of context to use someone’s 5k time that has nothing to do with the article’s topic. The article is not even about that. I also find it amusing and interesting how you used a stock photo of cross country when you definitely have real photos of our own cross country team running at meets. This just shows a lack of effort and that you do not care what you are writing about or the cross country team as a whole.
Anonymous
December 9, 2025
negative articles like this diminish the work that the student athletes and the coaches put in.
Anonymous
December 9, 2025
I am ashamed to see our school thinks it useful to bash its own struggling teams. The XC team is small enough and diminishing the efforts of those involved is frankly insulting to those who actually put in effort. People still work hard in this sport and I think this is honestly nothing but rude.
Anonymous
December 9, 2025
Im ashamed our school thinks it valuable to post articles diminishing an already small team and discourage other interested students from joining. This is still our Fleetwood team and you should take pride in it, some people do well and care.
Anonymous
December 9, 2025
oOoOO mic drop