The UHSSE Cross Country season went incredibly well. Our team just wrapped up the season as we went to states on October 26th. At championships our team won runner-up for boys and all of our runners ran incredible times. Catherine Hockenhull ’25 took first place for girls, and Jethro Ehrlich ’26 took first place for boys. Our runners hit a lot of PRs and had great placement. All of our girl runners placed in the top five. Eight of our runners continued to compete at the state meet.
Throughout the season, our runners ran multiple races, practiced for hours, and put everything they had into their races. It has been incredible to see not only how much our team has improved but how much closer or more cohesive we’ve become. We all ran in the ninety degree weather, ran miles every day, and went through the same hard workouts. Now that the season has come to a close we can see that we made it through everything and enjoyed it. This season came with its own challenges, like having a new coach and a smaller team, but still we were able to thrive. “Our team lost a lot of seniors, but I think we kept a good attitude this year and are still working just as hard,” said Emmett Spaeth 25’.
Cross country is a sport where you can feel how everyone is rooting for each other. Even the people you run against will be congratulating you once the races are finished. You get to see yourself improve and everyone around you as well. As you get closer to the finish line of both the race and the season, you can see everyone running with you. It’s amazing to watch, not only when you achieve the time and place you wanted, but when you get to see your teammates overjoyed because they reached their goals. You can help but feel proud when you see your teammate is practically jumping for joy because they got a PR. “It’s just a fun sport, and everyone’s pulling for each other. It’s neat to watch, and you can really see the individual progress, which I think is really cool,” said Coach Aaron Brown.
Championships went incredibly well, and everyone put their all into the race. One of the best parts of cross country is how if runners want to exceed their own expectations and win for their team, then they have to leave everything they have on the course. After the race, we were exhausted, but all of the practice, energy, and time we spent was worth it. “Championships went well. I was hoping to PR during it, but it’s difficult to know how you’re doing when there is no one to pace you. That being said, I am very happy that I was still able to compete at the same level I usually do even without a pacer. I am also so proud of the efforts from both Jayla and you,” said Hockenhull. After the race the awards were handed out, and each of the coaches said a little something about their seniors. Our team has many seniors, and we will be losing six of our runners next year. Whether they hope to run in college or go on to pursue other interests, we wish them the best of luck.
As this season comes to a close, I just want to say that this team is incredible. All of the runners are amazing, not just in this sport but in who they are. I wish them only the best in the world and can’t wait for the next cross country season to come.
