With Districts set for Oct. 24, the big day looms only days away. In light of this, Eagle High’s cross country team isn’t just running—they’re chasing a dream that’s been months in the making: conquering state on Nov. 1. Led by remarkable students and outstanding coaches, the team is laser-focused on qualifying, and thriving, at the state level. It’s no small feat for the team to qualify, either.
“To get to state, our team has to place top seven at districts. You can qualify individually if you run and get top 33 at districts in the varsity race,” said senior Jackson Porter. This means that every practice, every mile and every workout counts. With both team and individual paths to state on the line, Eagle High’s runners are sharpening their focus on more than just speed. They must focus on consistency, endurance and race-day execution.
The team practices often, going through varied workouts with increased speed and difficulty as time passes. They have practices every single weekday and Saturday, given they don’t have a meet already occurring. It’s all done with endurance building in mind. They alternate between practices at Reid Merrill Park, Eagle Island State Park, Ada-Eagle Bike Park and Eagle High School, depending on the type of runs they’re doing and whether they have an upcoming race day. It’s a huge time commitment, but according to the team, it’s worth it.
“It’s a lot of commitment to be on the team, getting up everyday and putting yourself through what other sports see as a punishment,” said junior Aidan Marshall. “But it’s so worth it, because the people are the nicest people at our school. We are a great group.” With that in mind, if a person is simply doing cross country for personal enjoyment, they need to give up a large amount of their schedule to practices and meets because of the sport’s heavy time demand.
“If you just want to do it for fun, then you need to commit to showing up for practice everyday during the season,” said boys’ cross country captain Jeremiah Petersen. “If you want to be really good, you’re practicing everyday all year long. To get really good, it takes a lot of time and consistency.” Casual commitment is welcomed, but excellence demands more. Driven by that mindset, Eagle High’s runners train with purpose, sticking to team schedules, prioritizing recovery and managing school with care. Every detail matters as they prepare to face one of the toughest competitions of the year. However, even though training frequently is critical to their preparation for Districts (and State to come), it’s extremely important for runners to get rest on days off.
“When training endurance, it’s important to have rest days, so we take our days off and don’t train on them,” said junior Betsy Reeder. Most runners take the time to heal, hydrate and rest on their days off. This helps to keep their bodies in good condition, giving their muscles time to rest so they aren’t overexerted.
“On my days off from cross country… I’m healing because running puts a lot of … stress on your joints,” said sophomore Brooks Moss. Recovery is just as vital as training for Eagle High’s runners, especially as the intensity ramps up before Districts. Athletes like Moss understand that rest days aren’t about slacking; they’re moments allowed to let the body repair and strengthen.
Eagle High runners are doing more than just training hard. They’re training smart. As the season intensifies, athletes are learning to balance ambition with awareness, recognizing that long-term success depends on more than just mileage. It’s a level of discipline that speaks to the team’s maturity and their readiness for the challenges ahead.
With months of training behind them and the biggest races just ahead—Districts on Oct. 24, state on Nov. 1—Eagle High’s runners are ready to test their limits. Whether they’re chasing personal records or a full team success at State, they’ll take the starting line with confidence. Every step, jog and run has led them here, after all.
