Going into cross country districts, the terrain wasn’t preferable for runners. It was rainy, and very muddy, meaning that racers have to be careful where they have to take their next step throughout the race. Hepner embraced the challenge however, taking a more strategic route when it came to the race ahead.
“I had to pre-race and plan out my strategy, finding the line of where to run; and not necessarily tagging behind someone, but avoiding the puddles and avoiding the muddiest spots,” Hepner said.
According to head coach Ryan Keene, the PIL is considered to be one of the hardest leagues in Oregon, if not the nation, when it comes to Cross Country. According to OSAA, in the 2024 state meet team rankings, four of the top six teams were PIL teams.
“It gets harder and harder every year to qualify,” Keene said. “It’s a bloodbath in our league, and that’s just a testament to coaching league wide.”
Hepner placed sixth in the district race, which is a steady improvement from his previous tenth place that he earned last year. Since the difficulty of the PIL is very high, that placement just feels a little more special.
“I think it’s one of the most competitive leagues in the entire nation,” Hepner said. “ Us [Oregon] and California are the top two states for high school runners.”
However, Hepner isn’t just the only runner who performed well on the team. Even if they didn’t make state, there has still been improvement that was shown front and center at districts.
“You gotta give credit to James [Ruona-Banister] taking third, what he’s done this year from an overall perspective on the team, moving up that far is a monster day for him,” Keene said. “We got a couple freshmen who ran really really well on varsity for the girls. We gotta give them some kudos because we put ‘em in a tough spot, and they were relaxed and executed.”
Hepner also gave a special shoutout to junior runner Natan Hadgu and his performance, along with some pretty big hopes and expectations.
“I think next year he might be the one to get the school record, and I’ll be very happy if he does,” Hepner said.
Hadgu highlighted his journey throughout cross country so far and how important the sport has been to him.
“We’ve been supporting each other, and it’s a way to feel close to people and sacrifice for them and yourself,” Hadgu said. “Cross country is not just like a running for state sport. It’s a sport where you break your limit.”
This year’s districts could’ve been seen as a test to break your limits. With the muddy and rainy conditions, it put runners to the test. Our team took on that test, along with adding a runner to the state championship meet.
