Our team has been plagued with some injuries outside of our training that have kept some from racing. A couple of days before our meet with Hockinson and Woodland, Oscar encountered a serious injury during school. Good thing it was his hand, not his foot! This injury could still allow him to run. With his right hand very swollen, but fully wrapped, he stepped up to the starting line for the first time this year. The results??? Wow! Oscar ran a big P.R. on a slow course and even managed to beat all the Hawks and Beavers en route to his first ever sub 20 minute performance. His time was 19:50, but more accurately, he had the time of his life.
Senior Laycee Hyde has tackled a few obstacles in the season so far. A leg injury and illness has kept her down, but certainly not out. "It's my senior year and I want to improve," she said. And improve she did. On Thursday, Sept. 30, Laycee came through for the Panthers in true optimistic style, running within a second of a lifetime PR on a slow Hockinson course, with temperatures in the 80s. As she cruised through to the finish line at 27:53.3, Laycee couldn't quite hold her lunch down, but was rather euphoric about it, saying, "I've ALWAYS wanted to do that. Now I am a real runner!" Congratulations Laycee, and welcome to the club.