Luke Claughton, left, and Gage Brandon follow Humbolt Street for a cross country practice run through Canyon City.

Grant Union cross country has an uphill climb this season, but at least they have full girls and boys varsity teams to complete the task.

This is the first time since the Prospector program fired back up four years ago that they’ve had full teams.

“It makes it easier to motivate them,” said head coach Sonna Smith. “It gives them a different perspective. They’re not just running for themselves.”

The boys team has six runners, and the girls team has seven.

They’ll be up against a pool of 18 teams in the 3A/2A/1A Special District 5; Grant Union is 2A. The opponents include Union, which won first last year, followed by Burns, Nyssa and Vale.

“We are always inundated,” Smith said. “Our league has lots of the top cross-country runners in the state.”

One quality of a successful cross-country runner is “tenacity — both mental and physical,” Smith said.

“You have to be able to push through discomfort, and you see the most improvements,” she said. “We don’t compare ourselves to others, but our best last effort.”

Smith knows what it takes, as she completed college with a scholarship in cross country, on the road to becoming a teacher.

Grant Union cross country leaders include two runners on the boys team, senior Trejan Speth and sophomore Tanner Elliott.

Speth has been running long distance races since he was in sixth grade.

Elliott has also competed since middle school, and competed in summer 5K races, including the Gold Rush Run in Canyon City and the Brothers Run in John Day, where he finished first.

“They add a lot of leadership for the team,” she said. “Trejan has taken the role of team captain.”

Speth said he’s happy they have a full team for his senior year.

“We’ve all had to run individually in previous years,” he said. “We plan to finish strong and compete to the best of our abilities, even though we have some stiff competition.”

The Burns-Idlewild Meet, held at a campground near Burns, is a favorite course for Speth, and he said that type of setting makes the sport enjoyable. The team will compete at that course on Oct. 15.

“I like how you’re running through the forest,” he said. “It’s not on a track, but on dirt and rock.”

The two other seniors this year, Reitta Wyllie and Ginni Frazier, are running cross country for the first time, but both have distance running experience.

“We’re a great group of runners, and we have high expectations for ourselves,” Wyllie said.

She said she likes keeping fit with running and several years ago placed first in the Gold Rush Run 5K, in the youth division.

Frazier ran distance races in track, previously.

“I think we’re all pretty dedicated, and we all work hard and will do our best,” she said.

Saturday was the team’s first meet at the Runners Soul XC Fest in Hermiston, and they’ll see many of their district opponents at Friday’s 40th Annual Catherine Creek Scamper near Union.

Sept. 9: 40th Annual Catherine Creek Scamper near Union, TBA

Sept. 17: Hilton Family Fun Run in John Day, 7:30 a.m.

Sept. 24: Madras Invite @ Kah-Nee-Ta Resort in Warm Springs, 10:50 a.m. (varsity)

Sept. 30: Gutbuster @ Milton-Freewater, 12 p.m.

Oct. 7: Run the River — Grant Union in Mt. Vernon, TBA

Oct. 15: Burns-Idlewild Meet near Burns, 10 a.m.

Oct. 21: Mikaela Reser Memorial Invitational in Condon, TBA

Oct. 28: 3A/2A/1A District 5 Championships in Pendleton, TBA

Nov. 5: OSAA 3A/2A/1A State Championships at Lane Community College in Eugene, TBA