This year the boys cross country team defied expectations and set new standards by being the first team in 26 years to make it to state. Plus they were also the first team to ever place that high up ever in YCHS’s history.
They ended up placing sixth as a team which came as a shock to the competition because the entire year YCHS’s cross country team was not seen as a threat. They were never ranked in the top ten poll except for after they were given a spot to go to state. Even then they were only ranked number ten.
But at state the boys blew away the competition racing hard and competitively even though the state course was not easy.
Sophomore Chase McMullen said that he would rate the state course a two out of ten based on difficulty and how much he liked it. He said, “There were a total of three hills, and I didn’t like how we had to run straight down into the bowl and right back up out of it, it was not fun. Also the sharp turn towards the end was hard.”
Most of the guys agreed on the fact that it was a hard course but not all rated it the same. Freshman Torsten Nordstrom said, “I would rate it a five out of ten in terms of midness.”
Meanwhile, Junior Lucas Partin said, “I hated it. I would rate it a seven out of ten. There were too many hills, it was three hills too many.”
Partin stated, “I left every race feeling that I could not have run any faster”, when asked how he felt about the season. But not some feel like they had more left to give sometimes. McMullen stated, “ I felt I did good but not as great as I could have done.
For freshman Logan Guinn the best part about making it to state was, “The feeling of accomplishment at the end, just the fact that we were there and placed so high. Also the fact of doing better than anyone expected.”
McMullen had been holding out hope the entire season and was rewarded when YCHS’s cross country team was awarded one of the four wild cards given.
When asked when making it to state became a reality McMullen said, “The very first day of practice I knew we had a good shot at making it.”
