Shadow Ridge High School men’s cross country team is making headlines as three of its runners achieved remarkable personal bests during the state qualifying meet. Three student athletes from Shadow have etched their names into the school’s history books by achieving the top three fastest times ever recorded for the Men’s Cross Country Team. With the sun shining and the scent of fallen leaves in the air, the team displayed exceptional talent and determination on the challenging course.

This unprecedented accomplishment has ignited excitement within the school community and set a new standard for future runners.

Seniors Carson Wetzel, Landon Larsen, and Justin Rawe all delivered stellar performances at their meet.
Starting with Wetzel, who clocked an impressive time of 15:13.8, securing the title of top 3. Wetzel’s performance earned him a new set of school records.

He says, “It felt amazing, I was really proud of the time I was able to get. I didn’t really do anything to celebrate. I remember being so excited to go to the podium that I forgot my medal at our camp that another athlete let me borrow theirs for the podium photo.”

Winning a title like that isn’t easy. It requires hard work, commitment, and consistency.

Wetzel says, “I train with lots of miles, 40 to 60 miles a week, as well as speed track workouts. These balance speed with endurance,” he follows up with, “but it’s not just about what you do at practice; what you do after is also very important. Recovery is most important. Making sure I drink enough water, eat enough food, and better food, as well as getting the essential nutrients that I need, like electrolytes, potassium, iron, and all types of vitamins.”

Larsen says, “Having a good form as a runner is the main technique this includes keeping your arms closer to your body to save energy, as well as landing on your mid foot, and keeping your breathing steady, while also having a slight lean at the hips and really focusing on pushing the ground behind you.”

Wetzel recommends strength training as well as more mobility and movement workouts. Strengthening what he needs to run faster.

Coaches and teammates alike praised the athletes for their dedication and hard work leading up to the championship.

Wetzel says, “They have kept us motivated and also helped us have fun with it as well. I don’t think I would have as much fun if it wasn’t for the coaches. The coaches also spend countless hours working on a workout schedule for the whole season. Another thing they support by doing is getting us into more competitive races, which will push us faster.”

Larsen says, “The coaching staff has done so much for us. They give us all of our workouts as well as help give us advice on how to get faster, treat injuries, and advice on how to keep our mind in the race.”

The significance of this achievement extends beyond individual accolades; it symbolizes the strength and potential of Shadow’s cross country program. With each athlete planning to continue their running careers, their successes have drawn attention from people all around, further highlighting the talent nurtured within the school.

With their record-breaking times, Wetzel, Larsen and Rawe have set a high bar for future cross country runners at Shadow Ridge, proving that with dedication, anything is possible. The school looks forward to watching their continued success as they prepare for upcoming races and the next chapter in their athletic careers.