The NCHS girls cross country team’s first home race on Wednesday, October 2nd, ended in triumph against Mt. Si and Newport High School. Varsity runners Amelia Wray and Myrte Hofman powered their way through the 3-mile course in under 22 minutes, ultimately winning their team first place between the three schools.
“The main thing I love [about cross country] is the team aspect of it, being around all the girls,” senior captain Myrte said with a radiant smile. “I’ve met my closest friends running.”
True to her word, Myrte and Amelia had run the entire race together, crossing the finish line hand in hand in a show of strength and friendship. Amelia, who is a sophomore, added in a recent interview, “We’re really close. I love the girls on my team, we’re all connected and supportive of each other.”
Senior Cayle Key, another close friend of Myrte and Amelia, finished with a time of 22:39, a season record. Cayle is also one of the captains of the team and is described as the ‘team mom,’ according to her teammates.
“{It’s} a little bit embarrassing,” she said with a small laugh. “But yeah, I try to help the team in any way because I feel like our team’s been building. Everyone spends a lot of time together.”
Cayle and Myrte have been running North Creek cross country since their freshman year, so it’s no wonder they have been such stellar role models and leaders for the underclassmen. Freshman runner Caeden Kraupa stated, “They {the seniors} set really good examples, and they give good advice. {Myrte} definitely made us more positive and cheerful. She’ll come back from running smiling, and she’s always very happy.”
According to Myrte, she also looked up to the seniors her first year of cross country, which is what inspired her to keep running, even when things got tough.
“My freshman year I had a really awesome senior named Chloe and she was kinda like the person that was there for me, through everything,” she explained. “So hopefully I’ve been able to be that person for others, just a little bit.”
