Mud, Chaos, and Grit: The View from the Glendoveer Trenches

Nerves peak as the anticipation sets in. You’ve waited for this moment. Silence takes over—stretching far too long. A whistle sounds. Adrenaline kicks in. You take off.

Then, the gun. False start.

An official yells, "Back to the line!" You turn around. You are halfway back when the gun fires again. Suddenly, a herd of runners is bearing down on you. You scramble to turn, slipping in the mud, trying to find your footing before you get swallowed by the pack.

At Glendoveer, you must be ready for anything. Not a single runner who toed the line in Saturday’s races didn’t belong there. They all earned their spot by being the best in the country. But the road to Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) is long and winding. Runners who dominate locally are suddenly knocked down a few rungs and realize they have to give more than their best just to survive.

The Boys: Calculated Calm

Locked in. The Portland team displays the stoic focus required to compete at the national level, moments before the gun fires.

After confirming box assignments, I stood at the starting area and claimed my spot for the boys' race. I set up near box 29 to be close to the NW Individuals and the Stumptown (Jesuit) team. As runners headed to the line after introductions, the starting area began to look like a kicked hornet’s nest. Athletes, coaches, officials, and media were all gearing up for the release.

The Kellen Williams-led Portland (Stumptown/Jesuit) squad was one of the first teams to make it down. They warmed up calm and collected—exactly what I expect from a Tom Rothenberger-coached team. Slowly they removed layers, heating up on a uniquely comfortable December day.

The weight of the moment. Representing the Northwest region, athletes stand on the line at Glendoveer Golf Course, mentally preparing for the biggest 5k of their lives.

One of the last groups to arrive were the NW Individuals, featuring Oregon Duck commit Jayden Warner. Jayden is a kid I’ve wanted to photograph for a while. He carries himself confidently (and has an awesome haircut). He also comes from a tiny high school in Warrenton, OR. Warner had evaded me at Nike Cross Regionals (NXR) in November, so I was happy to get a second look.

As Dylan Rowell, Cohen Butler, Garrett Faught, and Warner got situated, I couldn’t help but notice Yosuke Shibata getting ready at a very slow pace. The South Eugene standout is one of those guys I always look forward to watching. He usually just shows up and gets it done, but I felt like I was seeing nerves creep in. Seeing a runner like Shibata carry himself that way wasn’t unique—NXN does this to people. Being there without your team, joining a "rag-tag" bunch of individual qualifiers, is a different beast. But if nerves were getting to him, it didn’t show after the gun went off.

I caught the runners several times after the start. In the first mile, I saw pushing and shoving as the massive pack weaved through the muddy course. Caden Leonard was the guy I thought would take the top spot after his big fall last year. As the race settled, it became a three-way battle between Jackson Spencer, Yohanes Van Meerten, and Leonard. Spencer would cross first, and as Leonard was a few steps from the finish line, Van Meerten blasted past him. There was no question the (now) two-time third-place finisher had given it his all.

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That is the thing that doesn’t come naturally for these runners: not finishing first. That’s the beauty of NXN. Everyone is on a level playing field. Season stats are out the window. National rankings are settled once and for all. I walked away impressed by everyone who finished.

As runners poured in, some slammed to the ground, others scanned the finishing area for their teammates. Body after body hit the deck with exhaustion, faces covered in spatters of mud, while parents and fans roared for their runners. It is an amazing spectacle that is hard to describe.

Nothing left to give. The aftermath of the national championship pace is written on the face of a Carroll runner, proving the course demands everything you have.

The Girls: Green & Grit

The girls' race was next. I set up on the opposite side to be close to the Sehome girls. The "girls in green" were the lone team from Washington state to compete at NXN. They came into the race ranked 14th in the country but would still have to fight to claim their spot. The Sloane Clines and Kjirsten Ludeman-led Mariners are used to dominating at Washington meets, but how would they fare when they aren’t the favorite? They answered that question loudly by finishing 10th.

After a messy start to their race—including that confusing false start sequence—the girls were underway. I ran across the golf course to get my first look at the front pack. I saw runners from Wayzata, California, and a smattering of other teams tightly grouped.

Natasza Dudek was tucked into the group, waiting for her moment. She would eventually find her way to the front and cap off her season with a thrilling victory, stumbling across the finish line with nothing left in the tank.

The Pinnacle reached. Breaking the tape at Glendoveer, securing the title after a grueling 5k in the mud.

One runner I was excited to spot in the front pack was freshman Addison Kegal out of Newport, who won NXR NW a couple of weeks ago. Being in a race of this caliber as a freshman must pull at your emotions, but she was doing what she knew best—running her race.

Soaking it in. A Northwest runner smiles post-race, capturing the pure gratitude of competing on the national stage.

I was also interested to see how the NW Individual girls would do. Sophia Rodriguez came off an impressive win at the WA State Championship only to miss auto-qualifying at NXR. Cassidy Armstrong was another who was missed all season long until she reared her head at State and NXR, signaling to everyone that she is still here and she still has it. Watching these girls race against the likes of Addy Ritzenhein, Natasza Dudek, Maddie Gullickson, and Lily Adler is the best way to cap off a long season.

Hope and anxiety. Watching the clock and waiting for the team scores to populate on the big screen.

The Purpose

As the race wrapped up, I found myself at the exit of the finishing area. As runners stumbled out, I steadied my 85mm lens on their faces. I took photo after photo, feeling as comfortable as I had all day. This was it.

Shared victory. The emotional weight of the season is released in the arms of family and supporters who made the journey possible.

The races were over, but I had found the one thing I love doing—capturing people. These athletes are people. They are kids, some as young as 14. My purpose when I picked up a camera was to capture important moments. In 10 years, I want to look back at my photos and still be able to feel the moment.

Race day spirit. The intensity of Nationals is balanced by the joy of the sport, worn proudly in glitter and face paint.

I found myself incredibly proud scanning through my images at the end of the day. Some exhausted, some smiling, some devastated. A lot of work goes into getting to this point. After you cross the finish line at the final race—the biggest race—a lot of feelings emerge. Capturing that is my purpose.