Hedlund Brothers Compete in States
Cross country athletes qualify for state championship after success at CCS.
By Katie Scripoch
Cross country athletes qualify for state championship after success at CCS.
By Katie Scripoch
It isn’t every day that siblings get to compete together in the Central Coast Section Championships and both move on to the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships.
Jeff Hedlund, 12, and Carson Hedlund, 10, made it their reality when they were the only two athletes that qualified to move on to the state championship and represent Pioneer High School.
During the regular season, cross country competed in the Mount Hamilton Athletic League, and moved on to CCS championships. On Nov. 11, they competed in Belmont, California at the Crystal Springs cross country course for CCS where the boys took 4th in Division III. Carson Hedlund placed 2nd with a time of 15:23.50 and Jeff Hedlund took 6th with a time of 15:50.30. They both moved on to the state championship at Woodward Park in Fresno, CA on Nov. 26, where Carson Hedlund took 10th place with a time of 15:30.50 and Jeff Hedlund placed 32nd with a time of 16:13. Teammate Erica Gunn, 10 has noticed the difference in personality and leadership that they bring to the team atmosphere.
“Jeff is very happy and cheerful, he is great at making everyone included on the team and supporting everyone. Carson impacts other people by pushing others to try their best during workouts,” said Gunn.
For many athletes, including Jeff Hedlund, competing is not just for themselves but also for their supporters.
“When I’m in a race, when I need that last gasp to finish, to get ahead, to win, it’s the images of my parents, teammates, friends, coaches and everyone who has encouraged, helped and cheered me on,” he said.
Head coach Marc Klemencic has recognized both Hedlund brothers for their leadership and athletic accomplishments throughout their time with the cross country team. Jeff Hedlund is the current President and team captain, along with being last year’s most valuable player. Carson Hedlund has shown his leadership through how he employs racing strategies and was the MVP this year.
“Both have been a top three runner all year on the team and have been at every meet this season. They make everyone on the team better runners through their leadership and work ethic. Without them, the team would not have finished 2nd in MHAL and would not have had a chance of competing for a CCS championship,” said Klemencic.
While competing on the same team, sibling rivalry would be expected by many, but having that family bond has benefited both athletes. While being able to run together for the past two years, they have been able to push each other to the best of their abilities.
“Running with Jeff pushes me to be better because we have a very competitive brotherly relationship,” said Carson Hedlund. “I hope to see him accepted into a D1 university and compete in the NCAA at a high level.”
Although competitive with each other, the brothers have shown their support towards each other as athletes.
“(Carson) is an amazing runner, he isn’t even halfway done with high school and he’s already shown he’s one of the top runners,” said Jeff Hedlund. “He’s got great things ahead of him.”
Staying focused during races is important for any cross country athlete. The younger Hedlund was able to find this motivation to keep going during meets by focusing on running as straight as possible when running on tangents, ultimately leading him to success.
“The best part of any race is always the end when I can collapse onto the ground and finally be done, but during the race I think the best part, both physically and mentally is when I’m passing people it shows me that as tired as I am at that moment, the people around me are more tired and that pushes me to keep going,” he said.
Jeff Hedlund, 12, and Carson Hedlund, 10, made it their reality when they were the only two athletes that qualified to move on to the state championship and represent Pioneer High School.
During the regular season, cross country competed in the Mount Hamilton Athletic League, and moved on to CCS championships. On Nov. 11, they competed in Belmont, California at the Crystal Springs cross country course for CCS where the boys took 4th in Division III. Carson Hedlund placed 2nd with a time of 15:23.50 and Jeff Hedlund took 6th with a time of 15:50.30. They both moved on to the state championship at Woodward Park in Fresno, CA on Nov. 26, where Carson Hedlund took 10th place with a time of 15:30.50 and Jeff Hedlund placed 32nd with a time of 16:13. Teammate Erica Gunn, 10 has noticed the difference in personality and leadership that they bring to the team atmosphere.
“Jeff is very happy and cheerful, he is great at making everyone included on the team and supporting everyone. Carson impacts other people by pushing others to try their best during workouts,” said Gunn.
For many athletes, including Jeff Hedlund, competing is not just for themselves but also for their supporters.
“When I’m in a race, when I need that last gasp to finish, to get ahead, to win, it’s the images of my parents, teammates, friends, coaches and everyone who has encouraged, helped and cheered me on,” he said.
Head coach Marc Klemencic has recognized both Hedlund brothers for their leadership and athletic accomplishments throughout their time with the cross country team. Jeff Hedlund is the current President and team captain, along with being last year’s most valuable player. Carson Hedlund has shown his leadership through how he employs racing strategies and was the MVP this year.
“Both have been a top three runner all year on the team and have been at every meet this season. They make everyone on the team better runners through their leadership and work ethic. Without them, the team would not have finished 2nd in MHAL and would not have had a chance of competing for a CCS championship,” said Klemencic.
While competing on the same team, sibling rivalry would be expected by many, but having that family bond has benefited both athletes. While being able to run together for the past two years, they have been able to push each other to the best of their abilities.
“Running with Jeff pushes me to be better because we have a very competitive brotherly relationship,” said Carson Hedlund. “I hope to see him accepted into a D1 university and compete in the NCAA at a high level.”
Although competitive with each other, the brothers have shown their support towards each other as athletes.
“(Carson) is an amazing runner, he isn’t even halfway done with high school and he’s already shown he’s one of the top runners,” said Jeff Hedlund. “He’s got great things ahead of him.”
Staying focused during races is important for any cross country athlete. The younger Hedlund was able to find this motivation to keep going during meets by focusing on running as straight as possible when running on tangents, ultimately leading him to success.
“The best part of any race is always the end when I can collapse onto the ground and finally be done, but during the race I think the best part, both physically and mentally is when I’m passing people it shows me that as tired as I am at that moment, the people around me are more tired and that pushes me to keep going,” he said.