Although the high school cross country season came to an end weeks ago, many Woodland Park HS runners continue to train as they pursue excellence. The runners continue to train as a part of WP Elite, a Woodland Park running club run by Panthers coaches Jeremy Grier and Jordan Ricks.

“To be excellent in the sport of cross country or track & field, athletes need to train year round,” Grier said. “Coach Ricks and I created WP Elite to allow those athletes that want to excel, to have a group to train with.”

WP Elite is in the process of becoming a 501c, and will soon be able to take donations and raise money to help athletes of all ages to train and race. The club has future plans to host 5k/Fun Run races in Woodland Park. A WP Elite website will be built in the near future.

“Currently WP Elite does not have any fees for those that want to train,” Grier said. “We will focus on ages 8-18 at this time, but all ages are welcome to train with us.”

Nine high school WP Elite athletes competed at the Nike Cross Country Regional on Nov. 18 in Mesa, Ariz., in “some nasty weather,” according to Grier. Joseph Begley, Sam Godwin, Eli Dvorak, Dawson Tisdall, Tristan Tisdall, Landon Prahl and Bed Godwin comprised a boys team that finished ninth out of 42 teams from five states in the small schools division. Danielle Taylor and Aliya Fletcher raced well as individuals in the girls small school division.

Landri Prahl represented WP Elite as an eighth grader at the USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Region 10 Championship in El Paso, Texas, on Nov. 18. Prahl ran a massive personal best for the 4k race (16:03). Her 12th place finish earned her a medal and a ticket to race at the Junior Olympic National meet in Louisville, Ken., on Dec. 9.