What began as a casual way to get fifth graders moving has grown into an officially sanctioned team sport at the middle school, where cross-country participation and enthusiasm continue to build.

Coach Laura Davies said she started inviting her students to run with her because she has always loved the sport. One of those early running partners was Boomchain Loucks, who went on to become a high school state champion and local record-holder.

“When I was teaching fifth grade, I just started running with students,” Davies said.

When Davies moved to the middle school in the 2018-19 school year, she kept the routine going. By 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined many activities, she turned the informal outings into a club to help students stay active and connected while social distancing.

“Getting out and running as a group was an excellent form of exercise and recreation,” she said. “Sometimes we just ran whenever we could. For a while we could only run on Fridays. But we had some parents join us for the runs.”

The club has since evolved into a team, a transition Davies credits in part to high school cross-country coach Mason Villarma for encouraging a more competitive direction.

“Now the kids have come to know it as an actual sport, and the parents have come to expect it,” Davies said, noting the program has drawn roughly 20 runners each year since it began at the middle school.

The pipeline has already produced standouts. Both Loucks and freshman phenom Jenna Meissner spent time in the middle school club before starring at the next level. Meissner, as an eighth-grader, won a meet in Craig against a field of 35 runners.

“Jenna actually started training with the high school at one point near the end of her eighth-grade year,” Davies said. “I knew she was a special talent. She’s always been a strong runner.”

The middle school hosted its first and only meet of the season Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Muskeg Meadows Golf Club, welcoming runners from Petersburg middle school.

“Petersburg wanted to have a meet and we decided to do one at the end of the high school season,” Davies said.

For Davies, the role is part coach, part talent scout, and entirely about giving young athletes a positive entry point to running. Loucks now lends a hand with the middle school group, a full-circle moment that underscores the program’s continuity.

“In middle school, I’m really just exposing them to what running is like,” Davies said. “And it helps get them ready for the high school program.”

Not every success story is about medals. Davies pointed to runner Bella Ritchie, who wasn’t an especially strong runner initially but committed to improving. That effort, Davies said, began paying visible dividends during this year’s high school season.

The steady growth and tangible outcomes have helped change perceptions, Davies added. As the high school team’s performances draw attention, middle schoolers see a pathway and a purpose.

“I think these kids are excited because they see how well the high school kids are doing, and they see this as a legitimate sport,” she said. “It’s great because they can look back at middle school and see how it started.”