Freshman Madie Boreman finished 15th at Nike Cross National with a time of 20:02 in Portland, Oregon, Dec 1. She kept a steady pace near the lead, holding seventh place until the 1K split. First place was taken by returning champion Sarah Baxter of California, who finished with a time of 19:17.

“I knew the track would be tough,” Boreman said. “My main goal was to make All-American, which is for the top 21 runners.”

Not only did Boreman place 15th against nearly 200 other girls, but she survived a brutal course. Originally a horse race track, it was filled with man-made obstacles such as haystack hurdles and deep mud puddles. At the end of the race, some girls were carried away from the finish line because they were so exhausted.

“I was really tired and muddy,” Boreman said. “I learned not to underestimate the environment.”