HERMISTON, Ore.-Hermiston High School had a strong showing at the recent Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) State Cross Country Championships.
Hermiston made it to state for the third consecutive year, with 12 Bulldog cross country runners qualifying for the championship meet held at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco on November 8.
“We’ve been to state three years in a row, now the goal is not just to get there, but to trophy,” said Hermiston Cross Country Coach Troy Blackburn. “We had some athletes miss time with sickness or injury this year, so hopefully we come back stronger next year.”
Hermiston finished ninth overall at state, while Leroy Lozano Mejia had the best individual finish, coming in second for the Bulldogs.
“I’m happy and grateful that I got to experience state,” said Lozano Mejia, a sophomore. “I’m competitive and I like to be first in everything, and Coach Blackburn gave me confidence and believed fully in me that I could win.”
Lozano Mejia, who ran 15.10, finishing just about a second behind Central Kitsap’s Mana Voss, credits his parents for always putting him in sports programs growing up, including Hermiston Cross Country Coach Troy Blackburn’s cross-country club, for his success.
“Leroy’s second is tied for the best finish for a Hermiston Cross Country runner at State and is the best finish since we joined the WIAA,” said Coach Blackburn. “If he stays committed and does what he’s supposed to, he should win state next year.”
Senior Maggie Meenderinck was the lone female member of the Hermiston cross country team to qualify for state and appreciated the fact that her Bulldogs teammates came to the meet to support her.
“State went a lot better than I thought it would,” said Meenderinck, who also enjoyed the experience of meeting runners from other schools across Washington at the state meet. “I was expected to come in about 60th based on times, but I finished 30th.”
Hermiston Cross Country dealt with injuries and illnesses this season, something that ultimately made the team stronger, according to several runners who competed at state.
“This season threw challenges at us, but we learned to navigate those,” said Jose Juarez, a Junior who has been running cross country for three years. “We ran well as a team and finished ninth in the whole state.”
For Senior Miguel Fuentes, who plans to run track in college, the season was a success individually and as a member of the team.
“This was my last season, and it was the only year I qualified individually for state, I’m really proud of that,” said Fuentes, who ran 16:21 at State, good enough for 37th place.
While ninth place at State is an accomplishment, it fell somewhat short of expectations for a Hermiston Cross Country team accustomed to success, with the ultimate goal of a state title, and Coach Blackburn is using it as motivation for next season.
“We were one of the deepest teams at state and six of our nine varsity runners are returning next season,” said Coach Blackburn. “We’ve also got lots of good, hardworking JV runners coming up.”
Hermiston Cross Country 2025 State Qualifiers
- Maggie Meenderinck, Senior
- Jose Juarez, Junior
- Miguel Fuentes, Senior
- Leroy Lozano Mejia, Sophomore
- Franco Gonzalez, Junior
- Gabe Anderson, Junior
- Angel Silva, Senior
- Alex Zacarias, Junior
- Jasper Blackburn, Sophomore
- Blake Frankie, Senior
- Aidan Gerrard, Junior
- Joel Herrera, Junior
