Skip to main content

Cross country team starts new tradition

Cross country team members will run game ball to scrimmage

(Friday, August 28, 2017)

jsTonight, prior to the football scrimmage, the high school cross country team will run an 8-mile relay to bring the game ball to CJ Hamilton Field.

According to Kevin Brokaw, head cross country coach, the relay will begin at the Shawnee County Fire District #1, Station #62, at 2535 NW Landon Road at approximately 5:45 p.m. The relay should end about 6:45 p.m. at the football field. Athletes will mostly run in pairs and run approximately 1 mile segments. (See the map attached for the route.)

Brokaw explained the purpose of this relay.

“We are doing this for a couple of reasons. I think it is a good team building exercise - all of them working to accomplish a common goal. I also believe that it is a way for us to get some positive attention for those runners in our program,” he explained.

Brokaw said Junior Rebecca Wagner and Freshman Kayla Brannick will start the relay because they are cheerleaders and will need to get back to the stadium. He said Junior Jason Schroeder and Sophomore Gabe TenEyck will run the last leg and hand the ball off at the football field because they qualified to state cross country last year.

Once Schroeder and TenEyck reach the field, Brokaw said he plans on having the rest of the high school cross country team join them and complete a lap on the track before handing off the game ball.

Wagner said she is proud to showcase the cross country program.

“What I’m looking forward to the most is being able to show our sport to the football boys because a lot of the time we can’t do that and are not involved in it,” Wagner explained.

Head Football Coach CJ Hamilton said he is excited about this new twist to the annual scrimmage.

“I think it is awesome and gets people involved in this whole process because they work as hard as the football and volleyball team,” Hamilton stated.

gtThe high school cross country roster consists of Juniors Peyton Cook, Caleb Kats, Jonathan Rakestraw, Schroeder, Jacob Taylor and Wagner; Sophomores Seth Evans, Grace North, and TenEyck; and Freshmen Aubrey Bahner, Brannick, Broden Call, Mary Kate Gerber, Drew Henderson, Kristen Rakestraw, Josiah Ross, Anna Ruby and Blake Wende.

Brokaw encourages community members and students to position themselves on the running route to encourage the cross country runners.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
New map