By: Coach Susanne Kuehl

This fall of 2007 marks the 30 th season for the Lewis-Palmer Cross Country teams. 1978 saw a combined 10 runners on the boys' and girls' teams. What started out as a club has grown into a squad of nearly eighty runners, with three State championship teams and one individual championship to their credit. The boys won in 2000, the girls won in 2001 and 2002, and Jared Scott won individually in 1998.

These past 29 seasons have seen tremendous changes with the teams at first competing on the2A level and now on the 5A level, from all the teams in 2A qualifying for the State meet to now having to qualify at a Regional meet.

This season has gotten off to an excellent start with two young varsity teams and a strong backup of upper classmen. Sophomore Brad Rogers is leading the varsity boys with 14 th place finishes in the Coronado and the Fountain Fort Carson Invitationals. He is followed by senior Ned Davis, sophomore Logan Dean, sophomore Steven Bell, sophomore Chris Jirucha, sophomore Brian Kulow, and senior James Johnson. The team finished 7 th at the Coronado Invite and 6 th at Fort Carson. This boys' team has a strong backup group of runners in Blake Johnson, Reilly Wade, Derick Kirchhoefer, and Brandon Schow,

The young ladies' team was 8 th at the Coronado meet and 3 rd at Fort Carson. They are lead by sophomore Maddie Kruger, who was 14 th at the Cougar Invitational and 12 th at the Trojan Invite, followed by freshman Brandi Schneweis, freshman Michaela Diamond, senior Megan Frier, sophomore Kenzie Hughes, junior Kacee Child, and freshman Jenny Healy. They are also backed up by the strong Open runners of Olivia Prosseda, Tabitha Sikich, and Keli Kulow.

These teams will be challenged in the five weeks ahead that lead to the State Meet at El Pomar in Colorado Springs. The Lewis-Palmer meet will be held Tues., Sept 25 th in Palmer Lake. The Open teams will compete in the Wasson meet on Sept. 28 th, while the varsity teams will travel to Pueblo on Sept. 29 th. The following Fri. (Oct. 5 th) will see the teams at the Doherty meet at Bear Creek Park. The Metro League meet will be held at Fountain High School on the 12 th of Oct., and the Regional Qualifying meet will be held in combination with the local 4A schools on Thur., Oct. 18 th at Monument Valley Park, followed by the State Meet the next Saturday.

(Freshman/Sophmore team won the Cherry Creek Invite)