Issaquah took on loosely marked turns and mushroom-laden trails at the KingCo Crest and Crown meet. The team won on their own turf by a cushion of 18 points in both the varsity and JV 3.1 mile races. 

A hairpin turn near the one-mile mark looks up at a sign that reads “Excitement is building,” referring to construction of a light rail, but for the purpose of this article, the 20-foot banner was solely in support of the Eagles. In the varsity race, junior Sena Pittman finished third with 19:48. Junior Riley Eberhardt came in fifth with 20:01, and sophomore Allison Hu finished sixth with 20:04. Junior Liv Jensen and freshman Caroline Mullet rounded out the top 10, with Jensen finishing ninth at 20:19, and Mullet in tenth at 20:39.  

Hydrated strictly through Nalgene water bottles and fresh off a warmup in black shirts that read “OPERATING ON A NO DILLY DALLY SCHEDULE” Eagles lined up for the JV race. Senior Faith Dougherty finished second with a 21:59 time. Freshman Whitney Neville came in third with 22:10. Both senior Mackenzie Bice and junior Ava Gonzalez finished in 22:27, Bice pulling ahead by one millisecond. Junior Lorelai Beernink stated, “It is a good course. It is flat.”  

Cross Country is an alcove of a sport: it does not draw the masses (unless you count parents running accidental 5ks to catch a glimpse of their kid) and there is no student section, but the team is frequently setting district records and were state champions last year. Head coach Liza Rickey states, “I feel very good about this season, both teams have put in a lot of work starting in June, they have some really great goals and actions that match those goals. They have a great attitude and have been working really well as a team unit to further their standings in the state.” This energy is palpable in the Eagle tent, where the supportive debriefs are as prevalent as the Tiger Balm aroma. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” in audiobook format can be detected amongst pre-race Miley Cyrus. Dougherty says, “I have met some of the closest people in my life through cross country,” reciprocated by teammate Amelia Ryan: “I love the people.”  

While watch tan lines are fading, the tenacity of IHS girls XC is not. Their next meet will be the KingCo championships on Issaquah’s home course.