SNOQUALMIE - The object of a cross-country race is for your team's fastest five runners to finish ahead of the other team's top five runners, so your team can score the most points.

Unfortunately, the goal is not always as easy as it sounds. Some runners are faster, fitter or more talented than yours, and others just race better.

That's the obstacle Mount Si must hurdle. Not only are they in a competitive league that includes Bellevue, Issaquah and Interlake on the boys' side, and Newport and Mercer Island on the girls' side, but they are also in one of the best districts in the state, according to head coach Art Galloway.

"Five to six of the teams in the district were top 10 at state," he said. "So it's really competitive."

This years team only has one returning runner who advanced to district last year - Joel Eib - and none made it to state.

The varsity runners on the boys team are Eib, Craig Fanger, Josh and Ryan Magnuson, Colin Parsons, Tom Peterson, and Jarod Wiegardt. Galloway said any of them are capable of duking it out for the top five scoring spots on the team.

"I think the boys are going to improve over last years finish," Galloway said. "We have a group of boys whose pack will be really tight. This year we're not going to have that one guy out there [ahead of everybody]."

Jessica and Kit Englund, Lillian Lazenby, Stephanie Riles and Heidi Strom will run varsity on the girls side. Of these, Galloway said sophomore Jessica Englund will probably be the teams front runner.

"Jessica improved her mile time by over a minute," Galloway said in reference to a recent mile time trial the team ran.

The Wildcats compete in their first league meet of the season at 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, against Skyline, Interlake and Sammamish at Robinswood Park in Bellevue.

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