We just wrapped up our sixth season running cross country with the Owasso Falcons, and as always it was a great experience! Brianna (10th grade) was on the high school team, Brenson (8th grade) was on the junior high team, and Brooke and Brecklyn (5th grade) ran with the elementary team. With practice and meet schedules for all three teams, it was a busy season for us!
Coach Renee decided to stick with the changes she made to the practice schedule last year and have the junior high and high school (who practice together) practice four days a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:00-8:30am. We were thankful to trade carpooling with the Lewellen family to get the older kids to practice! The elementary team practiced on Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30-9:30am. Brianna and Gavon would help Coach Renee with elementary practice (while Brenson played around with some of his teammates), then I would bring all five kids home at the end of practice. This season, practices were held at Elm Creek Park, Centennial Park, Collinsville Park, and Heart Healthy Trail. It was a lot to keep track of, and the kids had to help me remember where to take them for practice almost every time, haha.
2025 Owasso Falcons Cross Country Team
2025 Owasso Falcons Junior High and High School Teams
2025 Owasso Falcons High School Team
2025 Owasso Falcons Junior High Team
2025 Owasso Falcons Elementary Team
Brooke
Brecklyn
Practices for the cross country season began the first week of July for the high school and junior high teams. Brianna and Brenson were both at Horizons during that week, so they missed the first week of practice. Elementary practices also began the first week of July, but they only practiced two days a week during the first month. Once August began, we started our regular practice schedule for the season.
Harper, Bri, Rebecca, Jax, Gavon, and Easton at practice
Gav, Bren, Hope, and Abby disc golfing during elementary practice
Everyone had their first meet on September 4th, but our first big event of the season was a spaghetti supper and game night we hosted at our house for the high school and junior high teams on September 2nd. We had a decent turn-out, and the kids had a great time playing an escape room style board game after supper. Let me tell you, though, it was LOUD at my house that night!
Later that same week, our junior high and elementary athletes competed in their first meet at Foyil. The elementary and junior high runners all ran a one mile course, and all of my kiddos set course PRs (see below for times and places).
Our next meet was on Saturday, September 20th at Holland Hall. This is another meet we are very familiar with, and a course the kids mostly enjoy. It was pouring rain and storming the morning of the meet as we were leaving the house, but by the time we made it to Holland Hall, the sky was clear. It turned out to be a beautiful day for running!
Game night losers, haha
Game night winners!
Caroline, Brooke, Brecklyn, and Sadie ready to race!
Brecklyn
Brooke
Julia, Caroline, Immaline, Brooke, Brecklyn, and Sadie post race
Our junior high boys started and finished strong!
Brenson
ALL our junior high boys who raced earned a medal!
Cade, Landon, Isaac, Brenson, and Sam
After the races at Foyil, we drove to the Tulsa Soccer Sports Complex for Brianna to race in her first meet. It was the RSU After Dark meet for high school and college students. Brianna raced varsity and ran a 5K.
This meet was a different - but fun - experience for Brianna. It was large and busy, and varsity girls didn't race until 9:00pm. We definitely feel like the late time effected her race time a bit, but overall she ran strong. I told her that next year we're going to step up our game with some glow accessories for the race!
Kyrie, Brianna, and Eliza
Photos were difficult in the dark!
Brianna raced first out of our crew and ran a 5K.
Bren raced two miles,
and Brecklyn and Brooke ran one mile.
One of more exciting parts of the day was that both of our elementary teams placed as a team! We were hopeful for our junior high boys team, but Brenson ended up being our only junior high boy who was able to race.
Brianna, Brooke, Brecklyn, and Brenson after their Holland Hall races
September 26th was our next meet (for high school only), and it took us to Stillwater. The course was on the campus of OSU, and Brianna said it was probably the nicest and toughest course she's ever ran.
Bri and Kyrie at OSU . . . I'm not ready!
This day was very warm, and between the heat and tough course we saw several girls collapsing as they crossed the finish line. Our girls finished strong, though!
The following week (on 10/07) we took a trip to Checotah for another meet. Our junior high and elementary runners all raced one mile, while our high school girls raced two miles and high school boys raced a 5K. However, ALL of our runners felt like the course was longer than the distance it was supposed to be, and everyone's times reflected that.
On October 16th, the Yearwoods hosted our team family bonfire. As always, it was a fun evening to visit with each other and build relationships.
Hope, Immaline, Neriah, Izzy, Adele, Rebecca, Harper, Bri, Ruby, Kyrie, Blake, and three jokers in the background :-)
Hope, Gav, Bri, Harper, and Adele
Sam, Isaac, Bren, Harvey, Easton, Jax, Caleb, and Eleazer
As she usually does, Coach Renee gave out "awards" to her runners. Really, it was more like a roast, but it was entertaining nonetheless. This year, she gave each junior high and high school athlete a photoshopped photo with their "award".
Bren's photo has him and Coach in a wrestling ring, and she's beating him down in the ring. This was because they played one-on-one basketball at our spaghetti night, and she lost to him. So she had to give him a hard time pretending she beat him!
For Brianna, she photoshopped a BFF necklace on her and Jaxen's necks to tease them about saying they were "just friends" for way longer than it was true :-).
Harper and Bri and a gorgeous sunset
Coach Renee had these girls remake a photo from 2021, and you know I'm here for it!
Ruby, Immaline, Izzy, Neriah, Brecklyn, and Brooke in 2021
The same crew in 2025!
We often give a gift to Coach at the bonfire as a way of saying thank you for all she pours into the team, and this year Brooke gave her this adorable falcon she crocheted. I love her creative mind!
Ready for another meet day!
The sky was so pretty as we were singing the national anthem.
Our high school girls ready to go!
As I said above, just as Bri was finishing her race, it started to rain. Brenson was completely warmed up and ready to run when the races had to be postponed due to lightning. And it was a good thing we postponed because the skies absolutely opened up and poured rain.
Chris and I sought refuge from the rain in the baseball dugout.
Kyrie, Bren, and Jax waiting the rain out under our tent
Bri opted to sit in the van (and was drier than the rest of us!), while Brooke and Brecklyn sat with Sadie and Caroline in their vehicle.
After an hour had passed, there was a short break in the rain. Coach Renee called all the junior high and elementary kids to warm up, so they could race together. However, while they were warming up, the skies began to pour again. Everyone and everything was SOAKED. We got another small break in the rain, and Renee started the final race for everyone who was still there.
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.HEIC)
2025 Cross Country Results:So wet and cold, but ready to run!
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And they're off . . . FINALLY!
.HEIC)
Brecklyn was miserable (and maybe even crying), but she finished!
Sadie and Brooke
Brenson
I'm pretty sure I've never been so happy for a meet to be finished, haha. However, since we were the hosting team, there was some clean-up that had to be done before we could leave. At this point, we were all so soaked that a few more minutes in the rain really didn't make any difference!
Kyrie, Renee, Britt, Randall, Jax, Brooke, and Bri
So wet and ready to go HOME!
Finally, Homeschool Cross Country Nationals were held in Springfield, Missouri on October 25th. We had really been looking forward and working toward this meet, but Brianna ended up getting sick about two days before the meet and there was no way she could race. I stayed home with her while Chris took the other kids to the meet. She and I spent Friday night and Saturday snuggled up in blankets and watching My 600 Pound Life. Not exactly ideal, but it wasn't terrible, either :-).
Meanwhile, it was cold in Springfield, but the kids finished their season strong. Brooke and Brecklyn raced a one and a half mile course.
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This was a season for new experiences and pushing boundaries, and I'm so happy with how the kids handled it. Cross country kids practice and race in all kinds of weather without any break or time-outs. They push through pain, fatigue, and all the challenges that come with running in heat, wind, rain, and cold. They learn determination, commitment, and perseverance, and it translates to many other areas of life. I always tell people, "It's about so much more than just running!"
Cold but ready to run!
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Brooke
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Brecklyn
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Brooke finished one spot away from a medal in 11th place.
Brecklyn finished in 15th place.
Kyrie, Adele, Hope, and Bren
Bren had a solid start.
Working that hill
He finished hard, set a huge course PR, and earned a medal!
.heic)
Brianna
- 09/04 - 24:56
- 09/20 - 25:24 (1:52 course PR)
- 09/26 - 26:24 (99/166)
- 10/07 - 15:20
- 10/18 - 24:55
Brenson
- 09/04 - 6:20 (15 second course PR)
- 09/20 - 13:27 (1:10 course PR)
- 10/07 - 7:02
- 10/18 - 14:18 (12 second State PR)
- 10/25 - 12:50 (1:09 course PR)
Brooke
- 09/04 - 8:54 (51 second course PR)
- 09/20 - 9:33 (4 second course PR)
- 10/07 - 10:16
- 10/18 - 8:45 (11 second State PR)
- 10/25 - 13:43
Brecklyn
- 09-04 - 9:17 (15 second course PR)
- 09/20 - 9:06 (16 second course PR)
- 10/07 - 10:21
- 10/18 - 9:11
- 10/25 - 14:15
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