Wolves Cross Country team races through the season

As they run through the season with State on the horizon, the Green River High School Cross Country team has some impressive accomplishments behind them and is constantly working on picking up speed. 

Two weeks ago, the boys and girls teams faced some tough competition during the Saratoga Invite. 

"There were some really big teams there and a lot of teams there," Head Coach Craig Leavitt noted about the meet, but the runners rose to the challenge. "Lots of girls got faster, and some of the boys did too." 

Two of the Murdock sisters, Isabelle and Madison, pushed especially hard to get top-ten finishes, coming in sixth and seventh respectively. Ellie Quiroz was just behind the top ten, coming in at 11th. 

The girls team might have ended up in second overall, if not for a technical malfunction with one of the girls' timing chips, meaning their team score couldn't be counted, Coach Leavitt explained. 

Despite the challenges in Saratoga, the girls kept pushing at their next meet in Evanston, which took place last week. Isabelle's efforts particularly paid off as she raced her way into first place. 

"She ran a really good race," Coach Leavitt said. "She led the entire race." 

Isabelle was only passed for a few minutes during the race before getting into first place again and staying in the lead until she crossed the finish line, according to the coach. 

"We're really proud of her," Leavitt said, adding that " her sister was right behind her and almost got the girl in second." 

Madison ultimately came in at a close third place. Several of the other girls weren't too far behind, but they got stuck behind a group of runners from Evanston, Coach Leavitt explained. Three of the girls managed to finish in the top 20 as Quiroz came in at 11th once again, with Lily Murdock in 15th and Makynzee Bagshaw in 19th. 

The girls team came in second overall at the meet, falling behind Evanston but beating out the teams from Rock Springs, Lyman, Mountain View and Jackson.

While the boys team had later finishes, Coach Leavitt noted how well they're doing for such a young team full of runners in their first or second year. Jesse Kimble is having an especially impressive freshman year, according to Coach Leavitt. He finished 20th out of 82 runners at the Evanston Invite. All the boys are constantly working on being faster.

"It takes time to be good at distance," Leavitt said. "They're improving. They're getting better each meet, so that's good." 

This Friday, the runners will head over to Rock Springs, which Coach Leavitt said is a fun meet that the team usually does well at. Then it will be off to Riverton for Regionals next week. 

"Regionals is going to be pretty tough, because the top teams in the state are all in our region," Leavitt explained, noting that teams like Cody, Powell, and Evanston will provide strong competition.

The coach also said Regionals will serve as a good preview for State, which will take place the following week. The team members are excited for both meets to wrap up the season, and they are hoping to bring home some All Conference and All State honors. 

"I think they're going to be pretty competitive," Coach Leavitt said of the team. "They should be in the mix for one of the top finishes."