By RICHARD KRUG

For The Beachcomber

Where did cross country running begin? Was it on a grass covered plain in Africa, a trail between villages in Great Britain or barefoot high in the mountains of Mexico? Maybe we don’t know where it began, but we do know where years of dedication led for two Vashon High School runners, Savannah Krug and Colin Andrus: the Washington State Cross Country Championship meet in Pasco on Nov. 7.

The 5K championship run began with about 140 runners stretched across a fairway on the Sun Willows golf course in Pasco. At the sound of the starter’s gun, the runners stampeded 200 yards uphill to a sharp left turn, jostling for positions. This particular cross country course consisted of an unending series of rolling hills, which did not allow runners a long, flat stretch to lock into a pace.

Andrus ran hundreds of miles a year in cross country all four years of high school, but this was the first year he qualified for the state meet. On Saturday, he placed 45th out of 144 male runners with a time of 17:29.

Krug placed 28th out of 147 female runners with a time of 20:58. She was one of only four seniors from the Washington to qualify for the state meet each of her four years of high school, and she ran her fastest time on the course.

Boys cross country coach Kevin Ross said he was impressed with how Vashon’s two representatives performed at the state tournament.

“They were two outstanding athletes. … They met their goals and even exceeded them,” he said.

— Richard Krug is the father of Savannah Krug.