On November 3rd, the state competition took place at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.

As the two buses pulled into the parking lot of the college, the varsity athletes were excited to run their last race of the season and potentially place at state. Athletes from smaller schools were already racing on the course. Racing chips and bibs were handed out to the varsity athletes, as the schedule for the day was explained to them. The varsity girls were to race first, followed by the boys’ race. Later, a special race was to be held for athlete, Kayla Bolnick (senior).

The varsity girls raced extremely well, with three athletes from Wilsonville making all-state: Samantha Prusse (junior), Gabby Prusse (freshman), and Sydney Burns (sophomore). Every single athlete on the team raced incredibly well, allowing the team to be called up to the podium.

However, the announcement was made that two teams were tied, with a score of ninety-four points.

In a normal race, the first five athletes to cross the finish line are the ones to be scored. But in the case of a tie, they examine the sixth athlete. The two teams who were tied were Crater and Wilsonville.

After examination of the sixth runner on both teams, it was determined that Wilsonville was to take the second place and Crater third. Huge smiles erupted on the girls’ faces and they jumped up and down. They were given medals and a trophy. Everyone congratulated Kate Stewart (senior), who was the sixth athlete. For the first time in several years, Wilsonville had placed in state in the girls’ division!

The boys also raced incredibly, with Jack Burns (senior) making all-state.

Each individual on the boys’ team raced very hard and faced tough competition. They placed ninth at state out of thirteen teams!

However, the most memorable moment in that race was a single athlete’s finish: Ben McClelland (freshman). Ben had stayed near the front pack for most of the race. Yet, towards the end, it looked as if he were in pain. As he ran the last 300m, he slowed to almost a walk, with a pained expression on his face. His knees were turning blue, as he struggled to keep going.

With 50 meters left, he collapsed onto the track. But, he continued to persevere. He did not give up! Instead, he crawled to the finish, as hundreds of people cheered him on. Although it may have not been the finish to his season that he expected, he touched the hearts of many that day and proved that perseverance is always needed.

This year, a special race occurred for athlete Kayla Bolnick.  In previous years, OSAA prohibited Kayla from racing at state.

However, for her senior year, coach David Barkley decided to put on a race for her. With every single Wilsonville athlete behind her to support her, Kayla took off from the start, speeding through the course. She powered through the dirt paths and the hills that stood in front of her. As she finished on the bright blue track, a huge smile spread across her face. She had achieved a new personal record at the last cross country race of her senior year!

We are so proud of how our Wildcats performed at state and are inspired by their hard work and strong team bond that continues even after the season ends.