Cross Country

Southeast Valley Middle School Cross Country Team Opens Season with Strong Performance at First Meet

9/12/2025

September 11, 2025

The Southeast Valley Middle School Cross Country Team kicked off their season with an exciting and competitive first meet at Greene County’s meet held at Spring Lake on Thursday. Athletes from Southeast Valley joined eight other schools in the area for a challenging two-mile race, marking the beginning of what promises to be an exciting season.

For many of the athletes, this was their first-ever competitive cross country race. Despite the nerves and early-season jitters, the Southeast Valley runners showed remarkable perseverance and grit. New to the sport is 8th-grade runner Cayl Carlson. With a smile, he said, “At first, I was really nervous, but then after this first meet, I realized running two miles wasn't that bad. I think now I can really work on my placement and overall time, now that I've gotten my nerves out of the way. Plus, this is a great team, so I'm really happy I went out.”

In the boys’ race, 8th grader Griffin Vote led the charge for the team, finishing in an impressive third place with a time of 12:01, with newcomer Jayden Christie right on his heels, finishing in fourth. “My goal for the season is to get under 11 minutes in at least one meet,” Vote said. “I am proud of my time for this first meet, and feel like with more practice I can reach my goal.” Vote is excited for the upcoming races this season.

The girls’ race was equally thrilling, with Aleeyah Hoefer, an 8th grader, running a strong race and securing a 19th-place finish at 15:40. "I wasn’t expecting to do so well in my first meet, but I gave it everything I had, even when it was tough in places. I wanted to give up, but I knew I could do it. I can’t wait to race again!" she exclaimed the following morning. Hoefer is already proving to be a valuable leader for the girls’ team.

The Southeast Valley Jags middle school team, coached by Danny Lee and Abby Peterson, had several other standout performances, especially from newcomers who demonstrated tremendous grit. After a tough first race, newcomer Eevie Bird, a seventh-grader, is now looking forward to her next meet. “At the end of the race, I was like, I'm over this; I want to quit. But now I want to keep doing it because once I cooled down, I realized how much fun it really was, and I know it will keep getting easier as I keep running in practice and more meets.” Eevie’s brother, Eli, another first-timer and also in seventh grade, can’t wait for the next meet as well. “When I first joined XC, I was a little hesitant because I wasn't sure I could run two miles. But then after I practiced and worked hard, I realized I could do this and got a time I am proud of. My goal now is to beat my time!” With a mix of experienced runners and first-timers, the team’s future looks promising as they continue to build strength and experience throughout the season.

“It was a hot night, but I'm proud of how hard the kids pushed themselves. I saw a lot of personal battles, but they all stepped up to the challenge,” said Coach Lee after the meet. “Today was all about getting into race shape and learning how to handle a course. We’ve got a great group of athletes who are committed to improving," added Peterson. "Coach Lee and I are excited to see how they’ll grow as the season progresses."

The boys received a first-place team finish, and the girls took fourth at Greene County. The team looks forward to their next meet, which will take place in Panorama on Thursday, September 18. With their confidence growing, the runners are ready to tackle more challenges and push themselves to even greater heights.

Full Results:

Boys

Time

Place

Griffin Vote