Interior Invite
North Pole
Chena River Park
August 22, 2026
Submitted by VHS Cross Country Coach
It’s racing season and the VHS XC team loves to begin with the flat winding birch lined trails at Chena River Park in North Pole! They went into the race with only 6 runners for the season opener and the mindset of having fun while scoping out the competition for the season.
Senior Jewely Weber started off, testing out her lungs after a bout with strep. She remained strong the
entire race and finished 26th out of 34 with a time of 28:07.
Next up were the boys as the energy and temperature began heating up. Freshman Kaiden Leahy started off strong just behind the lead pack of West Valley and Lathrop. Out of nowhere came Seniors Robert Taylor and Jaymyn James, using teamwork to push each other. Following closely behind were Sophomore Dylen Agcaoili-Smith and Junior Cody Miller. These two pairs utilized the strategies practice to challenge and push each other all the way to the end. Leahy stayed consistent throughout the race, earning a new Personal Record, and finished 12th overall out of 43 at 19:03. Continuing to surprise onlookers, Taylor and James stuck together and crossed the finish line within hundredths of seconds of each other at 21:07 in 27th and 28th place, giving James a PR to start the season. Less than a minute later came Miller and Smith, battling it out on the home stretch to finish 32nd and 33rd at 21:51.
What a dynamic start to the racing season with two PRs! These runners demonstrated a lot of grit, dedication, and motivation to start the season strong! Next up is the State Preview at Bartlett High School with the rest of the team. Go Bucs!
Athlete Place Time
Kaiden V 12 19:03
Dylen V 32 21:51
Cody V 33 21:51
Robert V 27 21:07
Jaymyn V 28 21:07
Jewely V 26 28:07