When the miles get long, Luke Lund makes sure his teammates’ faces aren’t long too.
Whether it’s a joke or other form of goofiness, the Prairie senior adds a dash of silliness to the slog.
“I’ll embarrass myself to get them laughing,” Lund said. “I don’t care.”
While Prairie’s runners might have some fun, they also have serious goals this season.
Last season, the Falcons missed out on a team berth to the 3A state meet by two points, placing sixth at the Westside Classic bi-district meet. After coming so close and with five of its top seven runners back, Prairie is aiming for a first state berth as a team since 1997.
This article is part of The Columbian's High School Fall Sports 2019 special section, published in print on Sept. 1. View it online.
The Falcons are led by Lund, who hopes to break 16 minutes in a 5,000-meter race after clocking a personal-best of 16:19 last season.
“Breaking 16 minutes would be very special for me,” Lund said. “But it would be much more rewarding to take the team to state. We felt like we had a shot last year. It was disappointing to a lot of the guys, but I was happy with everyone’s effort. There’s no blame.”
Lund has been a consistent contributor for Prairie since his freshman year, when he placed fifth at the 3A Greater St. Helens League district meet. He won the district title as a sophomore and placed eighth at the bi-district meet.
Last season, he finished seventh in the bi-district meet after placing third at districts.
As Lund has matured as a runner, so has his team.
“When I was a sophomore, we had a giant group of freshmen who took us to the next level,” Lund said. “Each year, I’ve tried to grow more as a leader.”
Prairie has won the district title the past two years. This year, Lund and the Falcons are setting their sights higher.
“It’s a much more important goal of getting the whole team to state,” he said. “It starts in practice. You can’t do anything 90 percent. It’s gotta be 100 percent all the time.”
Runners to Watch
David Carrion: The Seton Catholic senior placed eighth in the 1A state meet last year after winning the District 4 title.
Sam Geiger: The Camas junior placed 11th in the 4A state meet last season, this highest among any local athlete in that race.
Jackson Keyser: Placing 34th, the senior is the top returning runner from the Washougal team that placed second at the 2A state meet.
Spencer Twyman: The Camas senior clocked 15:58 last season and was never slower than 16:21. Placed fourth at districts.
Luc Utheza: With a personal best of 15:41, the Camas senior is a big reason the Papermakers are ranked No. 2 in state. Placed fifth at districts.
Key Dates
Sept. 13 Run-A-Ree: The unofficial kickoff to the local cross country season, the 59th annual Steven Mass Run-a-Ree takes place at Hudson’s Bay.
Sept. 28 Nike Portland XC: One of the largest races in the Northwest, locals join elite prep runners from across the west at Portland Meadows.
Oct. 23 4A District Meet: Camas hopes to extend its local dominance in the annual race at Lewisville Park near Battle Ground.
Oct. 31 2A/1A District Meet: Small-school runners vie for titles at the scenic Lewis River Golf Course east of Woodland.
Nov. 2 Westside Classic: State berths are on the line as top 4A/3A runners compete at the bi-district meet in University Place.
Nov. 9 State Meet: Champions for all classifications will be crowned at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
