High School Cross-Country

Text by Anneke Isabelle Egbert

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Hokkaido International School set out on the 20th of September to run the race they've been training to run since the start of the quarter. Cross Country. Some dread it, some look forward to it, but in the end, the excited vibe was infectious, and everyone was fired up when the bus pulled up to the park. The first race was the Middle School Girls' race, followed by the Middle School Boys and then the High School Girls and Boys. 

The school had a camp set up near the finish line with a little tent set up, the runners stretching and the supporting parents and teachers roaming around and giving the occasional word of encouragement. All too soon, the stretching was finished and the MS Girls lined up. I was a runner, and my heart was pounding when I heard it. The pitter-patter of the rain. At first, I was relieved that the air would be cooler. But, it soon turned torrential. The MS girls got caught in a torrential downpour that continued halfway through the MS Boys' Race.

And then it was time for the High School Girls. They lined up on the starting line and Mr. Rankin (The P.E. Teacher) moved into the starting commands. “On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!” The girls took off with a bang, racing around the 3k course in Makomanai Park. With the Middle School Publications Team stationed around the course, no awesome footage went uncaptured. For grades 9-10, The winner was Ava Vaeth with Asana Yano and Ria Bee coming in second and third place. For grades 11-12, Joohye Hwang came in first, second was awarded to Nina Tadano, and third went to Madi Timney. The girls all came in sweaty and panting, but they wore smiles on their red faces and were happy when they crossed the finish line where they received a friendly high five from Mr. Mernin. 

Then, with some groaning and some cheering, the HS boys took their place on the painted white line. “On your marks, get set, GO!” SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! The pounding of the boy's feet started almost immediately. They raced around the course and first place in 9-10 was Seiya Kitagawa. 2nd and 3rd place was much closer, but in the end, Ewan Keenan took 2nd and Reef DePasquale took 3rd place. The juniors and seniors had Dimitry Boreyko in first, Garyu Ide in second, and Hugo Nishi-Strong in third.

And finally, the run we’ve all been waiting for:  The Fun Run. Although only one person dressed in a costume (a plague doctor), there were also some funky hairstyles. After the 1k course, the high school students hopped on the bus and went back to school happy and satisfied. Some competed, all had fun, and, unlike the MS runners, all got back to school happy and dry.