Some cross country teams feel the need for speed, but the first-place La Quinta girls team feels the need for beads.

After years of struggling, the La Quinta High School girls cross country team needed to find motivation and inspiration at the same time.

New coach Joann Monachello-Prahl had an idea and began to build the program.

“I had to be innovative to get this team going, so I borrowed ideas from every cross country coach I met over the last seven years,” the coach said “We have little sisters, big sisters, secret sisters, beads, lead pack shirts, team dinners, DVL quotes and cards, power pellets (M&M's), anything I can think of to reward every little achievement on our team.”

The girls love it.

They say it's hard work combined with Monachello-Prahl's spirited coaching style that keeps the team moving fast forward. The incentives are a bonus.

“We get beads for special things we do,” said Breah Stewart, who posts a personal best time of 20 minutes and 50 seconds. “It's been a real team-building thing. We worked hard to do better and better. Even within the top seven, we work off of each other, push each other. The new girls come in, and they push us. It goes on and on.”

It's working.

Three years into Monachello-Prahl's reign as coach, she led the team to its first win and turned the team into a power. The Blackhawks haven't lost a DVL race in four years. They're in line for their 12th consecutive meet victory and fourth consecutive title.

With school record-holder Hayley Musashi leading this year's group, the Blackhawks also feature Emily Ziomek, Stewart, Cara Bonafede, Alyssa Mozzillo, Brigette Cochran and Renee De La Parra.

Others often cracking the top 10 are seniors Lindsay Musashi, Lillian Orlett, Shannon Pickering and Jazmin Furtado.

As the season progresses, almost everything was commemorated with a bead, T-shirt or other prize. One time before a meet, Monachello-Prahl splashed each runner's shoes with glitter and called it “fairy dust” to make them fly. There are various sizes and colors for the beads, which all began at the start of the season to fill an empty chain. Ask any runner to explain what each one signifies, and she knows exactly.

“We get one per meet to recognize we ran in the meet, and red could mean on that day we were ‘red hot,'” Bonafede said. “It isn't whether you get first place, (their T-shirts signify 1-10 for each race position) it's personal achievements, the improvements from meet-to-meet.”

When the runners began this year, each was given a bead with a peace sign because Monachello-Prahl said running brings you peace. The next bead could be the number 12. That's what the Blackhawks are running toward, and it could lead to a fourth DVL championship.