Skyler Larson - Cross Country Runner

My junior year has been a great one. I increased my summer conditioning, as well as attended a summer running camp with fellow team members. I am a co-captain for the boy's team. Our boy’s team this year consists of twenty-four runners with ten seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen. We lost one runner from our previous year’s varsity team that now consists of three seniors, two juniors and two sophomores. I improved at the Pasco invite by one minute and seventeen seconds. I am now the number two runner on our varsity team and I closed the gap on our number one runner, a senior, from forty seconds last year to less than five seconds this year. We won the district championship meet again this year as a team, and I took 4th overall with a 15:56 3mi. At state, I finished 6th overall with a time of 16:42. I improved by fifty-two seconds from last year’s state time on the same course with cold and frosty conditions. Our team won the state title in our classification for the second consecutive year. I am now planning my off season workouts and next years goals for a greater cross country season.

My sophomore year I started summer conditioning. Under a new coach, our team was very determined to place in the top four at the state meet. Our boy’s team this year now consisted of twenty runners with one senior, ten juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen. This year I was the number three runner on the varsity team and each meet I improved on my previous year’s times. At the Pasco invite, I improved by a minute and twenty three seconds. We won the district championship meet again this year as a team, and I took 6th overall. At state, I finished 21st overall, 3rd on my team, with a time of 17:34. I improved by a minute and twenty three seconds from last year’s state time on the same course. Our team not only placed this year, but we won the state title in our classification.

In my first race in high school, I finished seventh on our varsity team. Our boy’s team that year consisted of seventeen runners with three seniors, four juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen. That year I developed a love for the sport of cross country. By the end of that year I was the number four varsity runner on our team and the only freshman varsity runner. Districts that year happened to be one of my best races. I finished 4th on the varsity team, with a time of 17:43. Our team qualified for state, and won the district championship meet for the first time. At state I finished 54th overall, 4th on my team, with a time of 18:57. Our team finished 5th out of 16 teams in our classification.