Cross-country running is a rigorous sport that takes much practice and concentration. You need to be in very good shape if you wish to compete. Both of our teams are heavily invested in succeeding. Throughout the season, I watched as my friends ran for miles almost every day. 

Their hard work paid off when both the boys and girls teams qualified for state. Each runner did great, with many of the Seahawks placing high in their races. One of them being freshman Lena Jagielski who had many top 20 finishes throughout season, and placed 14th at the state meet with a time of 21:26.

I talked with junior Max Pheiffenberger who got  12th at the state meet with a time of 17:17, which wasn’t even his personal record! When asked about the season, he said, “I was very impressed with how everybody did this year, and I am looking forward to my senior season.”

 This season, the seniors consisted of  Bjorn Nilsson and Jaden Van Dyke. When I asked how Bjorn got started with cross-country, he said, “I’ve been doing it since I was just a wee little swede. I have always liked running, and I am very competitive, so it makes it pretty fun.” These guys have been running their whole lives, and it shows during competition. On the flip side, there were no seniors on the girls squad this season. That just means they can only improve next year. Don’t shleep on next season!

If you did not hear by now, you’re probably living under a rock. Our own boys cross-country team exceeded all the expectations put on them at state. They placed second to Grace Christian–an extremely talented team. The race was a 5K at Bartlett High School. There were many uneven parts to the trail adding to the excitement. Not to mention, the competition was very good this year. The times everyone racked up were side-by-side with the 4A competition. 

Through my personal experiences, I have seen close up how much these guys and girls like to run, and the best part about it is that they have smiles on their faces all the time. All in all, the cross-country team did very well this season and we should be proud of every single one of them. Seahawk pride! Can’t wait to see what you guys pull off in the following years.