Cross Country: Mid-Season Update

At Eisenhower, many sports are loved; however, one incredibly underrated sport is arguably the most successful at Eisenhower. Cross Country, a sport that is left in the shadows, is Eisenhower's most successful program of all time, having five state titles for girls and two for boys, as well as 32 district titles in total. The program itself travels more than any other team at the school, entering meets all over the state and sometimes even Oregon and Idaho.

The team just had their first meet in Ellensburg for the Ellensburg Relays, where Freshman Errol Strom took 3rd in the boys’ 1.5-mile race and Sophomore Maxwell Prescott took 6th. The relay team, consisting of Seniors Kian Compton, Casey Smith-Apperson, Zophie Hopkins, and Cristy Trujillo, alongside their Junior Wolfgang Nelson, placed 2nd overall. Jumping into the water and over hay bales, the team had an amazing, fun time in Ellensburg.

At Fort Steilacoom, one of the biggest Cross Country meets in the state, Kian Compton took 5th in the Boys Varsity Gold division, and Zophie Hopkins took 3rd in the Girls Varsity Silver division. Many personal bests from the Cadets and many impressive performances. The Boys Varsity team took 9th in the Gold division as well.

Unfortunately, as years go by, the team loses more people than the last, currently the girls cross country team only has 6 people, just barely being able to place in the district, the team is made up of four seniors and two freshmen. Many don’t think Cross Country is worth trying; I didn’t myself, but the experience I’ve had through the years made the sport more than just running. Yes, it’s hard, but so is every other sport when you first try it out; but when you actually give Cross Country a try, it becomes more. The team itself does not have many supporters either, outside of family members, which is reasonable when they are 2-4 hours away from home, but when they hold Sunfair and districts, come out and support the team because although it might seem boring to just watch a bunch of people run, it's actually way more entertaining than one can think.

Thanks to the beloved coaches for providing a wonderful experience for the team. They make running feel more rewarding and enjoyable. With that being said, the cross-country team is off to their first league meet in Sunny Side; we wish them the best of luck.