![MORE THAN A GAME. With two diving catches in the outfield, the Lions showed up defensively, aiding in their victory over the Pacers. One catch was made by Atwood, and the other by McGraw. Throughout the game, the Lions knew that it wasn’t just about their victory today. “I think [playing for cancer] makes it bigger than just a game,” McGraw said. “Knowing that you have a bigger impact in this world than just who you are as one person.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/I70A1454-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Students in the National Art Honor Society work on the Mount Hood mural on the window of SouthLake Church. The students brought a variety of paints and mixed their own custom colors. “Instead of brushstrokes, we’re doing more dabbing, because it gives [a] better impression of tree foliage, rather than looking like actual brush strokes, because if we’re painting trees, we need it to look like trees,” Crawford said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_2397-1200x900.jpg)
Each year, cross country has nearly 7,000 male and female participants across Oregon, making it one of the largest sports in the state. The school is no different when it comes to athlete engagement.
The team has just about 100 runners each year, with seven to ten girls and boys on their respective varsity teams, depending on the meet. With high placement from certain athletes each week, the high school continues to place high in Oregon 6A rankings.
Kendall Atwood, sophomore, is the school’s top placing female runner, with a season record time of 19:38 for the women’s varsity 5k. Three out of her five attended meets, Atwood has placed in the top 20.
“This season has been very intense,” Atwood said. “There are lots of good runners in our league so practices have been difficult, but it’s good because it pushes us to be better.”
Atwood believes support from teammates and coaches is also one of the things the team is best at executing.
“[The cross country team] does a very good job at cheering each other on,” Atwood said. “We will always try to meet our teammates during points of the race to motivate one another, which is always really encouraging.”
Emma McCurry coaches the women’s team, and Jay Schrotzberger coaches the men’s team.
“Our coaches have worked on a ton of mental stuff with us,” Atwood said. “They always make sure we have a good mindset when running, because if your mind is not set when you run it can make it way more challenging.”
Ryan Lippert, junior, is currently ranked fourth in Oregon’s Three Rivers League (TRL). Lippert has placed in the top 20 runners in four of his five attended races, earning first place his second meet of the season with a time of 16:32 against two other TRL schools.
“I want to be top five in the district and make it to state, while achieving a 5k [personal record] under 16 minutes,” Lippert said.
Cross country teams can either qualify as a varsity team for state by placing first or second at the district meet. Individual runners can qualify for the state meet by placing in the top 14 at the district meet as well.
On Oct. 25, the cross country teams will compete in the district meet at Clackamas Community College. The womens varsity race starts at 4:30p.m while the mens race starts at 5p.m.
Earlier in the season, the cross country teams competed in the annual Ultimook meet at Hydrangea Ranch in Tillamook. To gear up for the district meet, take a look back on the highlights of Ultimook.
![Main Street said farewell to summer on Aug. 30 through the second annual Chalk Walk Art Festival. Ruth Offer, Chalk Walk organizer, brought this tradition from Wyoming in an attempt to make use of the renovated sidewalks of Willamette Falls Dr. “[This is] a community event for the kids,” Offer said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-12-1200x803.png)
