When the first day of preseason practices arrived Aug. 1, members of the Hays Rebel boys cross country team took stock of a trophy displayed in head coach Traci Hightower’s office.

The item itself wasn’t the motivation behind the visit. What it took to earn that trophy, claimed by winning the 25-6A boys cross country team title in 2018, meant enough for the runners to remind themselves of the fruits hard work can cultivate.

For Hightower, that form of motivation is key for a program ...