The Agony and The Ecstasy: Nike Cross Regionals (NXR) Northwest 2025 in Photos
Pure emotion at the NXR Northwest 2025 Championships. Cohen Butler, representing Milltown Project, crosses the finish line in Spokane, WA.
It’s not just about the win. It’s about the release.
This weekend, the best high school runners from across the region descended on Spokane, WA for the Nike Cross Regionals (NXR) Northwest 2025. The conditions were great, the stakes were high, and the emotion was palpable.
But getting the shot wasn't simple. Moments before the winner crossed the line at the NXR Northwest Championships, I had been told that my media credentials were close to being taken away. I had to scramble to find a spot where I could get the correct angle without angering the officials.
I found my lane. As Cohen Butler tore down the straight leading into the finishing chute, I knew he was going to run through the tape and make it memorable. After I fired off about 10 frames of Butler screaming across the line in Spokane, I quickly reviewed my photos to ease my mind.
I got it.
And that moment—where pure adrenaline meets the finish line—is exactly what this weekend was all about. It wasn't just a race; it was a battle.
Getting that single frame is a journey in itself. For the athletes, it’s months of training. For me, it started with a 5-hour, 23-minute drive on Friday afternoon. I arrived at the Spokane Polo Grounds just as the sun was setting. I found a parking spot and hopped out to find a bathroom. Once I finished, I found the packet pickup tent and headed over in hopes to snag my media credentials before the crowds showed up in the morning. I wandered around a bit, but the wind was howling so I headed back to the car.
I folded the seats, pumped air into a sleeping pad, and started editing photos from a job I had been working on. I woke up the next morning to the sound of cars driving over the dirt and doors slamming closed. I hit the snooze button and gained another hour of sleep before finally getting up.
This commitment is why I do what I do: to capture every ounce of that effort and emotion.
The moment of realization. The Stumptown (Jesuit) boys celebrate their first-place finish and secure their spot at Nike Cross Nationals (NXN).
The Ecstasy: Punching the Ticket to Nationals
In the Championship races, the pressure is heavy. You can see it on the faces of the athletes as they crowd around the live results board.
It wasn't just about individual glory; it was about the team. Watching squads realize their summer miles and 6:00 AM practices had paid off was the highlight of the day. These images capture that split second where anxiety turns into pure joy—the realization that they are going to Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in Portland.
Left it all on the course. Olympia High School freshman Leah Hennen takes a moment to recover after battling to a 42nd place finish in the Championship race.
The Grit: The Fight for Every Place
But for every triumph, there is the grit required to simply finish.
Cross country is unique because "defeat" doesn't look like failure here—it looks like exhaustion. It looks like Leah Hennen, a freshman from Olympia, leaving absolutely everything on the grass to secure 42nd place in a field of the region's best.
I wanted my coverage to reflect that reality. Whether you are a freshman running your first regional championship or a senior running your last, if you crossed that line in Spokane, you have my respect.
Special Project: The Faces of NXR
5,000 Meters. 100% Effort. See the raw portraits from the finish line.
