Templeton’s Josh Bell finishes 8th at Nike Cross Nationals
Leaders in the race, (Josh Bell pictured in center #155).
Josh Bell is a senior at Templeton High School
– Templeton High School‘s Josh Bell finished 9th at the Nike National High School Cross Country Championships, which were held Saturday on a soggy Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon. The THS senior finished 3rd in the recent California State Championship for Division 3 schools to qualify for Saturday’s event.
Overnight, Portland received just under an inch of rain. Puddles created water hazards for the runners Saturday morning on the 90-year-old golf course. “I think I went swimming a couple times,” Bell Said, “I didn’t slip and fall, but it felt like I was swimming because there was so much water.”
Bell agreed running the national championship race was an exciting way to conclude his high school career. He says he was pleased with his showing. “Yeah, I went out fast and was out in front in the first mile,” he said. “I felt great, and my legs were never achey; they were just cold. That’s what kept me going. I’m very happy about my performance.” Bell was among the leaders throughout the entire race.
Next year, Josh will run cross country and track for Stanford University. He says one of his future teammates ran with them over the last 100 meters of the Nike Cross Nationals. TJ Hansen of Michigan finished 10th over all. Hansen and Bell will run together next year in Palo Alto.
Bell may return to Oregon in the spring to run in the National High School Track and Field Championships to be held at the University of Oregon. His strongest event is the 5,000 meter run, which is the same distance as the 5K cross country race he ran Saturday, but without the hills, the mud and the deep puddles.
