On Oct. 20th, the Lakeland High School cross-country team competed in the 4A district meet. The team traveled to Lewiston Orchards in Lewiston, Idaho. 

In a highly anticipated meet, the team competed against Moscow and Sandpoint for a chance to run in state. 

Both the boys’ and girls’ teams at LHS placed third as a team.

Each participant had an opportunity to clinch a state appearance. The state meet will also be held at Lewiston Orchards. 

To be able to race in the state meet, runners have to place top seven in their class. 

Lakeland senior runner, Owen Elizondo-Bachiero, hit the cut-off, placing seventh in the meet. Owen will make the trip to the state this weekend. 

Elizando-Bachiero was the only runner from Lakeland to qualify for state. 

After the race, Elizondo-Bachiero said, “When I crossed the finish line, I was so excited. I have spent the whole season training for state, and being a top seven runner in the state is an incredible feeling.”

All the hard work and training paid off for Elizondo-Bachiero, as he ran his fastest time yet. 

He states, “Qualifying for state two years in a row is not something that happens very often, but now that I am experiencing it, it is an amazing feeling.”

The entire Lakeland team ran well despite Elizondo-Bachiero earning the lone state bid. Each Lakeland runner either ran a PR (personal record) or SR (season record). 

Junior runner Lucy Schenkenberger states, “I feel like this year went really well. The team has been trained to run through the hurt, so it was lovely to get to run in the cold for once this year. It’s even better that it was our district meet.”

In Elizondo-Bachiero’s final meet as a Hawk, the cross-country team will be glad to send off such a talented runner to state for one last time.