AHSTW cross country relyed on senior leadership through 2026 season

PANORA — The AHSTW cross country teams wrapped up their 2026 seasons at the state qualifying meet at Panorama, competing on a challenging course against a strong field of runners on Thursday, Oct. 22.

Despite a difficult course and an unusual season filled with weather-related cancellations and schedule changes, the Vikings continued to push themselves and gained valuable experience heading into the offseason.

“It was a beautiful day and a beautiful course, but it was definitely a fairly difficult course where times were not going to be eye popping,” head coach Jackson Renberg said.

The AHSTW girls had seven runners compete at the meet, finishing eighth in the team standings with 188 points.

Senior Tayli Lawler led the Vikings with a 28th-place finish in 23:45.79.

Lawler capped a strong senior season in which she consistently finished among the top half of the field and placed 14th at the conference meet.

Renberg said Lawler’s contributions went beyond her results.

“She will be missed in our program as not only a runner, but a leader as well,” Renberg said.

Freshman Astelle Graham was the Vikings’ second finisher, placing 31st in 24:18.22.

Graham put together a solid first season and continued to make progress throughout the race despite the challenging terrain.

Sophomore McKenzi Behrens finished 52nd in 26:44.14.

Although Behrens was disappointed with her performance, Renberg praised her perseverance and development throughout the season.

“I thought she did a great job of persevering through the race,” Renberg said.

“She made huge strides throughout the season that most can’t see on paper.”

Junior Emery Brockhoff finished 59th in 28:00.54 after battling illness throughout the week. Renberg said Brockhoff maintained a good pace and finished her junior season strongly despite not feeling her best.

Senior Yana Lander placed 63rd in 28:31.03, competing in the final race of her cross country career. Lander spent six years in the program and was part of AHSTW’s 2023 state qualifying team.

“It is sad to see Yana leave as she has been in our program for six years and was part of our 2023 state qualifying team,” Renberg said.

Renberg noted that Lander competed while sick and persevered through the race for her team as well.

Lenora Hall finished 73rd in 31:26.79, while Ellie Hansen placed 76th in 35:25.19.

Renberg praised Hall’s pacing and consistent splits, while Hansen continued to work through injury issues late in the season.

The meet also provided an opportunity to recognize another senior, Maya Todd, who spent six years with the program.

Todd began as a runner before serving as a team manager for the past four years, helping the coaching staff and supporting the team.

Renberg thanked Todd for her continued commitment and contributions to the program.

On the boys side, three freshmen represented AHSTW at their first state qualifying meet.

Roary Leary led the Vikings, finishing 39th in 20:19.16 and placing in the top half of the field.

Although Leary hoped for a faster time, Renberg said he competed well against runners who had previously finished ahead of him.

Lucas Plumb placed 81st in 25:16.82, putting together a solid finish while trying to achieve a personal-best time on a difficult course.

Renberg said Plumb continued to work hard and expressed excitement about the upcoming track season.

Asher McDonald finished 87th in 26:16.04.

Renberg said McDonald has made significant improvements as a runner over the past several years and emphasized the adjustment young athletes face when moving from middle school competition to racing against older high school runners.

Overall, the three freshmen gained valuable experience competing in a 5K against varsity-level competition, giving the program a foundation to build on next season.

As AHSTW closes the book on 2026, the Vikings will say goodbye to seniors who helped establish the team’s culture through their leadership, work ethic and personalities.

“The coaches and team will miss our Seniors as they have left a solid stamp on the program and the group will miss their leadership, work ethic, and sense of humor,” Renberg said.

The season presented plenty of challenges, with multiple meets canceled or moved to different courses and rainy conditions forcing the team indoors more often than the coaching staff would have liked. Still, Renberg said the group remained committed throughout the year.

“This group pushed themselves and was a very enjoyable team to coach,” Renberg said.