Pope John Paul II (JPII) Cross-Country
JPII Student-Athlete Team Accomplishments In Cross-Country
Background
The JPII boys cross-country team was formed in 2011. The first girl’s team was created in 2018. Both teams are relatively new on the Washington State High School Cross-Country scene.
Program Highlights
The JPII Girls' team won the Washington State Cross Championships in their second year in 2019. They repeated as state champions for a second consecutive season in 2021 at Pasco. In 2022, the Lady Eagles won their third straight state championship in Pasco. Due to the COVID pandemic, no state championships were held in 2020 on the state course.
In 2023, the JPII girls won their fourth consecutive state cross-country championship in Pasco, Washington.
Ruby Henry, a freshman from JPII, won the first-ever individual title at the state cross-country championships for JPII in 2023.
The girl's team were also Washington State Academic State Champions in 2018, 2021, and 2022. This means the girls had the highest team GPA within their sport and division in the State of Washington.
The JPII Boys team has placed second in five consecutive years at the state cross-country championships. However, they also finished as the number one team in the state in their division (1B) for four of those five years. The 1B and 2B schools compete in the same state championship event in cross-country.
In any other 1B sport, the JPII guys would have four state championships to their credit.
The boy's team has won distinguished or outstanding academic awards over the last several years from the WIAA.
JPII runs against the larger schools in the state cross-country championships. This is different from other sports at the 1B level. The other sports have separate state championship events.
The JPII boys and girls teams are blessed to be the most successful cross-country teams in the 1B Division in Washington State History since the combined 1B/2B division was created in 2006.
Due to the COVID pandemic, no district or state championships were held in cross-country in 2020. However, both teams led the state in their division time-wise on the athletic.net system.
Boys Cross Country
Sea-Tac League Champions
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
District Champions
2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Sea-Tac League Sportsmanship Team Of The Year
2019, 2020, 2023
Qualified For The State Championships
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
State Team Podium Placings (Top four teams in the state make the podium)
2nd place 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 (The JPII boys finished as the first 1B team in the State of Washington four out of the last five years, an all-time best for consecutive runner-up finishes. The 1B/2B state championships are combined in cross-country, unlike all other 1B sports)
The JPII Boys are blessed to be the most successful 1B team in Washington State Cross-Country history since the inception of the 1B/2B state championships in 2006.
Girls Cross Country
Sea-Tac League Sportsmanship Team Of The Year
2019, 2020, 2023
Sea-Tac League Champions
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
District Champions
2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Qualified For The State Championships
2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Washington State Champions
2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Washington State Academic Champions
2018, 2021, 2022
The JPII girl's team is blessed to be the most successful 1B cross-country team in Washington State Cross-Country history since the inception of the combined 1B/2B state cross-country meet in 2006.
Combined Boys and Girls Team Accomplishments
Combined, the JPII Boy's and Girl's Cross-Country teams have won 14 Sea-Tac League championships, qualified for the state championships 12 times, won eight district championships, won four state cross-country championships, had five runner-up finishes, and were blessed with three State High School Academic state championships.
Special Mention
The JV team was terrific in 2021. They won the JV invitational at one of the largest meets in Western Washington, finishing ahead of all schools regardless of state classification as a 1B school. The group was one of the best teams in the district overall, which was an outstanding accomplishment for a young team.
The 2020 Pandemic Year
Both teams led the state time-wise on athletic.net in their division with no hope of a state championship meet. They trained hard and were focused even without a district or state championship meet on the horizon.
I bring these accomplishments to recognize our student-athlete's fantastic work, even knowing a state meet would not happen.
The Pandemic teams showed heart, determination, and grit, knowing there would be no final exam to show their hard work.
I will never forget the 2020 team. The JPII boys and girls teams were two of the greatest teams I’ve ever coached because of their incredible character in the most significant societal challenge in generations.
The JPII Pandemic teams never gave up. They became role models for us adults on how to handle adversity.
Blessings,
Coach Weber
Philippians 4:13
The girls won the combined 1B/2B State Cross-Country Championship in 2019, their second year with a team. The 2019 state championship team was the first state athletic championship in any sport at JPII.
The JPII girls team was the first-ever 1B team to win a state cross-country championship, boys or girls team, since the creation of the combined 1B/2B state cross-country championships in 2006.
The JPII Girls team won the state cross-country championship in 2021 again, their second consecutive state cross-country championship on the state course. Due to the pandemic, no state cross-country championship was held in 2020 in Pasco, Wa. The girls won the state championship again in 2022 and 2023.
I want to thank Runners Space-Dyestat staff (Keenan Gray) for their interview with our JPII girl's team after crossing the line at the state championships in 2023.
These young ladies are extraordinary on so many levels. Their love for God and each other is pretty special.
The interview is here: : DyeStat.com - Videos - Pope John Paul II Girls 1B/2B Champions - Washington WIAA Cross Country State Championships 2023
The JPII girls won the Academic State championship in 2018, their first year as a team. The ladies followed up with additional academic state championship in 2021 and 2022. The academic state championship in 2018 was the first in school history. The school with the highest combined team GPA is awarded the academic state championship.
The JPII Boys have finished second at state for three consecutive years in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. There was no state championship cross-country race on the state course in 2020. The boys run against larger schools in the state championships. They were the number 1B school in the state championships for four consecutive years from 2018 through 2022. In 2023, the boys finished second at state again.
In any other sport at the 1B level, the JPII boys would have four state championships to their credit. In cross country, the 1B/2B classifications are combined, meaning the smallest schools in the state, like JPII, compete against larger schools at the state championships.
