On July 28, a select few members from the girls’ cross country team travelled across the country to Tillamook, Oregon on their annual running trip. Over the course of eleven days, the team ran approximately 50 miles on the track, the beach, and the mountainside.

“My favorite part was probably when we went swimming in the freezing cold ocean and played tug-of-war in the mud pit. The losers would be pulled into the pit, but then they threw mud at us anyways,” explained junior Makayla Kruse.

While at the camp, they were joined by two other teams, the MacFarland cross country team from California, and a cross country team from Indiana. Both teams were very fast and challenged the team to get better.
“We got to meet the guys from MacFarland, California. They were very nice, and it was really cool to hear about their town and their team’s story,” said sophomore Caroline McMartin. “The other team from Indiana was very fast and very intense. If it was a light-running day, they would have to run extra to meet their ‘quota.’ Their fastest runner’s 5K time was 18:30!”

Every morning, the team would wake up to a plethora of surprises. From the Chocolate Milk Mile, where they had to drink an eight-ounce glass of chocolate milk in between laps, to running up a mountain while carrying logs, they knew it wouldn’t be easy. Each day, the team would run anywhere from three to thirteen miles.

“The best part was being in a place where everyone else likes to run as much as you do. It was fun and challenging but neat being in a new place with the scenic mountains and beaches. I really enjoyed getting closer as friends and teammates, and the trip definitely got us ready for a great season, ” said McMartin.