SPOKANE, Wash. — Fourth grader Rowan Henry finished first place at the Northwest Association Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, Saturday, after he ran nearly two miles in 11 minutes and 25 seconds.
His closest competitor was twelve seconds behind him. He finished well ahead of the pack.
Rowan's success follows his first place win at the National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Reno last December. There, he ran two thousand meters, over a mile, in seven minutes and 56 seconds.
Rowan loves his sport, and tries not to overthink it. He's had times so fast he’s running with an age group above his.
“I always get nervous before a race and then when I start running I don’t feel that. I just run," he said.
He’s one of many All Americans on the North Idaho team. Coach Erin Lydon Hart keeps up a diligent training regimen with the runners.
“The team was founded by a navy seal and I’ve carried on many of his practices,” she said. “It’s a very rigorous program and we take the top runners of each age group. We train six months out of the year," Hart said.
The team will travel to Oregon next weekend for regionals. From there, anyone who qualifies will head to Madison, Wisconsin for nationals on December 14th.
Editor's note: This video above shows Gonzaga men's cross country after they finished their regular season on Friday.