Panthers and Spartans Race for The Shoe!
- Beka Geleta
- Oct 1
- 2 min read
Written by Junior Freelance Writer Beka Geleta.
Bonney Lake and Sumner duke it out on Senior Night at Knutson Farm for the coveted trophy.
The Shoe is a prestigious honor shared between the Bonney Lake and Sumner cross country teams, symbolizing their long-time rivalry. But what exactly is The Shoe? To find out, we asked Bonney Lake’s Cole Hilburn: “There’s a special shoe located between Sumner and Bonney Lake. It comes in two versions, one for boys and one for girls. Every year, a race is held, and the winners from each group receive their own version of The Shoe.”
For the Bonney Lake girls, Monday’s meet at Knutson Farm was a chance to defend the trophy they’d held for three straight years. The boys had kept theirs for more than four. Would both teams continue their dominance, or would Sumner finally take it back?
This meet was also about celebrating the Panthers’ seniors, athletes who’ve led the program with passion and set the tone for future teams: Luke Brown, Latham West, Boden Smith, Nate Gruceliski, Isabella Manges, Bella Fulton, Sierra Roper and Devy Nethercott.
Races began with boys JV, followed by girls JV and varsity, and finished with boys varsity.
In boys JV, Elias Conder placed sixth in 13:03.41, with Hilburn eighth in 13:14.44. Bonney Lake fell 15–47.
Next up was the highly anticipated Latham West, already known as one of the fastest girls in the state and just like everyone expected, she didn’t disappoint. West clocked 11:43.13, finishing 46 seconds ahead of second place. Her effort was huge, but the girls fell 26–30, ending their three-year streak.
Would the boys varsity avenge the girls’ narrow loss? The answer: yes, but just barely. The boys pulled out a nail-biting 28–27 victory, the closest race since this rivalry began, and stretched their hold on The Shoe to five straight years. Sedrick Swai took first in 11:14.53, with Oliver Rabe close behind in 11:19.14.
In the end, the night was about more than trophies or times. It was about resilience, rivalry and the bonds built on this team. Whether it was the heartbreak of a one-point loss or the thrill of defending a title, each race told its own story. And as the seniors ran their final Shoe meet, one thing was clear, this team runs with heart, and that’s something no scoreboard can measure.
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