The 2021 cross country season has been full of rewriting the record books at Washington High School and it is only fitting that the last day of the season saw history be written one final time. 

No Demon boy has ever returned home from Fort Dodge with hardware in hand until Lance Sobaski accomplished such feat at Lakeside Golf Course Friday during the class 3A state meet. In his third trip to state, the senior capped off his illustrious career with an eighth place finish in 16:20. That is the highest showing ever at state for a Washington runner and he is the first Demon boy to medal. Aidan Ramsey of Dallas Center-Grimes won it all in 15:36. 

Sobaski tells KCII Sports it was a special way to go out. “This means everything. To have my whole family and program here to support me and Micah means the world. I wanted to go out by showing the whole state what I have been working on in the offseason and my entire career. It is a hard pill to swallow knowing this is my last race, but this sport prepared me well for the future wherever that takes me.”

Sophomore Micah Rees turned some heads in his first appearance at the big dance by placing 36th out of 135 runners clocking in at 17:17. That was the 10th fastest time for all underclassmen. This was the first time Washington has had multiple representation out west since 1998. 

Sobaski closes out his prep career with three state bids, a two time Southeast Conference champion, and numerous meet titles on his resume. Peyton Snakenberg and Quinn Wubbena join him as the only seniors lost to graduation for the Southeast Conference team champions. Rees will headline a 2022 squad that returns five of their top seven.

Pictures Courtesy of Washington XC Social Media and Don Sobaski