On Saturday, October 27, members of the Norman North cross country team gathered at Edmond Santa Fe High School to participate in the OSSAA State Cross Country meet.

   The Norman North boy’s team included Kalen Sixkiller, Luke Robeson, Moises Ortega, Daniel Jensen, Will Nichols, TJ Guess, and Justin Wendland. The girl’s team included Jade Robinson, Olivia Vanhootegem, Anna Tweedy, Molly Cole, Erin Floyd, Meredith McAlester, and Molly Betts.

   Jade Robinson, North’s top girl runner on Saturday, finished in 34th place with a time of 21:04.2. Norman North’s top boy runner, Kalen Sixkiller, finished 41st with a time of 17:31.8. Both the boy’s team and the girl’s team finished in last place.

   Other schools at the meet included Deer Creek, Owasso, Norman High, Jenks, Edmond North, Edmond Santa Fe, Bixby, Broken Arrow, Westmoore, Bartlesville, Mustang, Moore, and Edmond Memorial. The state champion individual runner for the boy’s race was Gabe Simonsen from Mustang High School, and the state champion for the girl’s race was Sophia Maag from Norman High School. Deer Creek claimed both the boy and girl team state championships.

   The conditions on Saturday definitely did not make running any easier. It was unusually warm, and the ground was slick with mud. There were several hills along the course, along with added obstacles such as posters that had fallen and landed in the path of the runners.

   Despite the fact that Norman North finished in last place, the runners left with a sense of satisfaction. They had made it to state, which is a huge accomplishment in and of itself. Most importantly, they had tried hard and given it their all, and every North runner completed the course – an accomplishment that some of the other schools can not say they have. In that aspect, Saturday was a success for Norman North Cross Country, and we can’t wait for next season!