Unlocking Feet to Rise Above

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The Golden Eagle Cross Country team rose above for the final race of their season in Walnut, California.  The four day trip consisted of a twelve hour bus ride to southern California, with few stops, a beach party in the fog, a trip to Disneyland, and of course the Western Regional race known as Footlocker.

The 5K race was up and down rigorous hills demoting Center Street in Spanish Fork. Fortunately for the team, the hills were not quite as long. The race was ran in heats consisting of Frosh (Freshman/Sophomore) girls, Frosh boys, Junior girls, Junior boys, Senior girls, and Senior boys, All West girls, Frosh All West boys, Seeded girls, and Seeded boys. The entire team had at least one runner in every heat except for the Seeded girls.

The race was treated more laid back than other races. Senior, Josh Watson wore a Batman mask and cape over his maroon uniform. Three other senior girls from our team also dressed up for the race by wearing tutu’s over their running shorts. The junior boys screamed, “For Narnia!!” at the shot of gun beginning their race.

“If you can’t win the race, might as well have fun with it,” said Josh Watson.

For many of the team members, the highlight of the trip was not the race, but the trip to Disneyland.

“We’re going to Disneyland!” was often shouted on the seemingly never ending forty-five minute bus ride there.

Some of the team members raced to the tram faster than they raced earlier that day. The day commenced with fun at the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

Over sixty Maple Mountain team members attended the trip, using one and a half charter buses, sharing the other half with Hunter High School.

The team magnified their 2010 vision statement of “Rise Above” by not only winning the Region eight championship for the second year in a row, but committing to personal excellence, and team unity.

Winners included:
Rachel Warnick medaled in the frosh girls race (44th place), Lindsay Schuring (35th place), Hayley Knapp (36th place), Brette Bennett (41st place) all medaled in the junior girls race. Paxton Patey medaled (32nd place) in the boys all west frosh race and Isaac Faux medaled as well with a 2nd place finish in the same all west frosh race. Issac was also the top placing freshman out of all the boys races placing (58th overall). Spencer Hanson was the only Maple Mountain runner in the seeded race and placed 50th overall in that race. 

Picture 1
Team photo at Mt. San Antonio College, where the race was held

Picture 2 (Medalists)
From left to right, medalist in their various races:
Isaac Faux, Rachel Warnick, Paxton Patey, Hayley Knapp, Lindsay Shuring, and Brett Bennett. To get a medal, you had to rank in the top 40 of your race.

Attributions
By: Jake Harding and Brittany Eckhardt, MMHS Staff Writers