Cross Country Team Logs Nearly 1,700 Miles Over Summer

Members of the Neligh-Oakdale cross country team could have run to the ocean this summer, if they put all of the miles together that they logged. 

The cross country team ran a total of 1,671 miles during its summer conditioning program. Two individuals logged over 200 miles - senior Kasi Grosserode’s totaled 237 miles followed closely by senior Kayla Wright with 207 miles. 

"It is the first time that we have ever had two runners over the 200-mile mark for our summer conditioning," coach Rick Eickholt said. "Kasi had 201 last summer to become the first person to eclipse the 200-mile mark.  We also had four individuals that reached the 100-mile club."

This group was led by sophomore Madi Grosserode with a total of 126.5 miles, followed by Griffin Claussen with 123 miles, Rachel Higgins with 111 miles and Courtni Heckert with 105 miles.

So where could you go if you were to travel 1,671 miles in any direction? Eickholt said the choices are enormous. 

"You could travel Nebraska from east to west four times, or from north to south over eight times. Starting a journey at Neligh-Oakdale High School's front doors, you could travel to and place a foot in 48 out of our 50 states, missing only Alaska and Hawaii," he said. "You could reach the Atlantic Ocean if you travel east or the Pacific Ocean if you travel west. Traveling north or south you could easily leave the country and be in Canada or Mexico."  

Practices began August 11 with the Warriors' first competition scheduled for Sept. 1. Both the high school boys and girls will field full teams as will the junior high boys.