Every other month we get an update on what’s been happening recently at our Immanuel Lutheran High School, College and Seminary in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Immanuel has many options for extracurricular activities that keep students busy and give them opportunities to use their gifts in a variety of ways. Right away at the beginning of the school year—in fact the day before classes even begin—practice starts for our cross-country team.
Immanuel fielded its first cross-country team in 1972 with only eight boys. Since most of the girls at Immanuel play volleyball in the fall, we’ve rarely had many girls running. But this year we had a complete girls’ team (five) for the first time since 2014. We also had fifteen boys, which meant we had both varsity and JV complete teams, too.
2025 ILC cross-country team
This fall was one of the hottest in recent memory, meaning the runners had to deal with overheating more than usual. But with over half our runners coming from southern states, we felt we had an advantage. In fact, our church in Columbia (South Carolina) has provided more runners than any other in recent years.
Cross-country is a demanding sport, requiring personal drive and stamina. We try to keep things fun by varying the routes and workouts, and most runners enjoy our Saturday morning long runs (up to 8 miles). But one workout that many current and former runners talk about with dread is doing charges up and down “the hill” at the UWEC. These practices force our runners to push themselves to the limit, but they also bring our team closer together, giving them the opportunity to support one another and cheer each other on.
This highlights several of the blessings of cross-country. As our runners use their God-given abilities, they are learning how to care for their bodies, to push themselves to improve, and to support one another through hardships. We celebrate every time a runner sets a new personal best time for a race, doing our best to heed the words in Romans 12:15 to “Rejoice with those who are rejoicing.” (EHV) Our athletes this year exemplified this, rallying around each other and even other competitors, supporting everyone on the course at all our races.
This year, as in each of the last few years, we’ve had seniors on the team who demonstrated positive leadership, encouraging and supporting each of their teammates. This plays a huge role in making the season a positive experience for all and contributes to our team’s success. This year’s team closed out the season by winning the Dairyland Conference title for the third straight year, with three of our runners making the all-conference team.
Each of our teams also gathers before each race for a prayer, led by one of the seniors, to encourage each other and focus on glorifying our Lord and Savior. In this and all aspects of our sport, we are reminded of our Savior’s directive to “let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 EHV)
is an instructor, coach, and counselor at Immanuel Lutheran College.