Millika with WXHS Cross Country Teams at State Championships

Millika qualified to the State Championship a few weeks ago and she was ready to race today. But she was a little nervous because at Region Championship she "only" took 2nd place for Woods Cross High School. That said she had in her heart to take FIRST for Woods Cross today.

This is the hardest race of the year. Not because the course was harder, last Millika ran this course she took first place, but it is hardest because all the BEST runners from Utah will be in the race.

In the A4 High School Girls race there are 131 GREAT runners. The race is 3 miles (4.8 KM)  long and there are some nice hills :o). Our group A4 is the hardest out of the five groups of schools there are in Utah. How lucky is Millika to be placed in this group. It is harder to win but it gives her experience that she can use later in her running life.

Ready to race!! Our girls are going to give their BEST today!!

Millika was in the top 3rd of the runners the whole race!!

The pace was FAST but Millika kept up good!

Sprinting in the end!! She did it!

 Millika ran the 3 miles in 19 min. 59 sec. She placed FIRST out of Woods Cross High School girls. She came in as number 26 out of 131 of the BEST A4  girl runners.  She made the goals she set for her self in this race and that is really all that matters. She has had a wonderful first season in Cross Country and has made some fantastic new friends.

 Marissa, Rachael, Jackie, Haley, Millika and Gabbie. All these friends came to cheer Millika on at the race. What great friends to have :o)!!

Millika is now getting ready to run Track which is shorter distance but just as fun. Way to go Girl. You are AWESOME!!
Video on Millika's movie page!

McKay at Beehive Bonanza Tournament at the University of Utah!

Yesterday McKay went to his second Debate Tournament of the year. This one was a National event so there were debaters from many of the Western States. McKay competed in the class of Open Varsity, this means that ALL can compete but most will be VERY seasoned debaters. People that have taken debate for 3+ years. This is only the beginning of the second year for McKay so he was up against some good competition.

There were 3 "Open Varsity Houses" in this Event and in McKay's house there were 25+ debaters. McKay had been to another Event the day before and he had not had a good day so I was really hoping that he would do good at this event! The topic of this U of U event were much better and he felt like he was more on top of his game.

Here is what was in Woods Cross High School's Newsletter in October about the tournaments!  

WXHS Debate Earns National Recognition

Woods Cross High School Debate has recently been recognized in the top 10% of all National Forensic League (NFL) chapters from across the nation.  This is an incredible honor, and shows the strength and determination of our Debate team.

Wildcat Debate is off to a great start! Our team is large and strong, with many eager novices and an experienced varsity team. We started our season at the Falcon First tournament at Clearfield High School on October 6, 2011. We brought over 40 debaters, and had a lot of success.

Then, for the next two days,we were at the Beehive Bonanza tournament at the University of Utah. This was a huge tournament. There was over 30 schools from 5 states with about 800 entries.  Taking our most experienced debaters, Woods Cross High School did extremely well.

Debaters who won individual recognitions include:


FALCON FIRST, 10/6/2011
1st-Annika Marriott: Congress
1st-Jake Cleveland: Congress
2nd-Kaestle Charlesworth: Congress
2nd-Tuscan Thompson: Extemp
3rd-Abbie Bowers: Congress
3rd-Gabe Johnson: Congress
4th-Summer Steadham: Congress
4th-Ben Powell: Extemp
Best Chair-Ethan Johnson: Congress

BEEHIVE BONANZA, 10/7-8/2011
1st-McKay Holbrook: Congress 
Best Chair-McKay Holbrook: Congress
4th-Ben Powell: Extemp
5th-Luke Hansen: Congress
Broke to Octos-Sam Mecham: Lincoln-Douglas

McKay did rock the house. He was chosen as "the Best Chair"(leader of the group for 1 hour), he got this t-shirt for that. AND ..... He took FIRST PLACE in his house/group. He got a very nice trophy but it is at the High School in the Debate "Win" case.

Way to go McKay starting off the season great. You are on your way to a good year already!!

Millika with WXHS Cross Country Teams at Region Championships

Today was a REALLY important race for Millika and the WXHS Cross Country Team. They were competing at the Region Championship and the top 13 runners from Varsity Girls and Boys will got on to the State Championship in 2 weeks. So today it counted!

There were 39 Varsity Girls running on 5 teams representing the 5 High Schools in our Region!

Millika had been sick for the past 2-3 days before today so I was a little worried that she would be able to preform at her normal high level but I had faith in her and we were hoping for the best!!

Ready to start the race. Mille looks focused and ready to run!

Sticking with the leaders!! Millika is have a pretty good place as of now!

Still doing good but it is a really fast pace they are running!

Look at Mille coming in the sprint. She passed Kacie on the finish-line so she took 2nd from Woods Cross today and 5th in the over all group of Varsity girls!!

Look at all those wonderful WXHS Varsity Girls!! The Girl that won is nationally ranked and a senior so 3-4 years older than Millika!

 

This is Millika when the Varsity Girls Team was told,  they were the NEW 2011 Region Champions!! Way to go girls. You set a goal early in the season and you made it!!! You took the Championship!

First time ever for Woods Cross Varsity Girls Team to be Region Champions!!

Millika ran the 3 Miles (4.8 KM) in 19 min. 40 sec. She took 2nd place out of the Woods Cross Varsity Girls and she did PR again this race. She was still feeling sick as she was running today but there are just days when that things like this happens. I think it was good for her today to have one of her Team Mates beat her but she was NOT happy about it! I think it will give her more kick as she runs in the State Championships in 2 weeks!! We will have to wait and see what happens but I will be VERY surprised if Millika does not take first out of the Woods Cross Varsity Girls! Only time will tell :o)

Video Clip on Millika's Movie Page!

Millika with WXHS Cross Country Teams at Fisher Park by Clearflied High School

Millika ran an easy race today with WXHS Cross Country Teams at Fisher Park by Clearflied High School. The course was almost all FLAT and it was 2.75 miles (4.40 KM). There were 3 schools and 37 girls. The course was 3 rounds of 0.91 miles a piece so a little boring compared to the other courses Millika has run before!

Today Millika was not told to hold back but to just go run her race. So she did just that. She ran the 2.75 miles in 17 min 42 sec, a new PR (personal record) for her. It seems like she is breaking her PR almost at every race these days.

This is in the beginning of the first round Millika is keeping a good pace but not too fast yet!

Here is Millika on round 2. She is starting to pull away for the rest of the group.

Here she is coming up to the finish line. There are NO other runners in sight after her!

This is her in one of her famous sprints. Look at those leg muscles. WOW..... :o)

And here she WINS the race with a new PR and the next runner was WAY behind her!

Haley and Millika Best Friends for sure!!

Woods Cross Varsity Girls Team took FIRST today as a team with the score of 17 points. I do NOT think they have ever scored so good before. Millika took First Place out of all the 37 girls. She told me after that she did not really push herself, she could have run faster on the last mile or so. But she got another first place for Woods Cross and she had fun doing it.

I was again today told that she has SO MUCH talent in running and that we better get a shotgun because when she turns 16 years old we will have a lot of boys running after her :o(. So Lincoln better go get a shotgun and a lot of bullets. (Like I would want that in our home, NOT) But it was a cute thing to say to me, and YES Millika is just a beautiful, as she is smart and a great runner!

Good Job Today Mille. Next week is the Region Meet/Race and I just know you will do great there too.

Video Clip on Millika's Movie Page.

Millika with WXHS Cross Country Teams at Herriman Invitational

OKAY... This week have been the toughest week race wise for the WXHS Cross Country Team. They did the really hard course on Wednesday at Muller Park Junior High School, which before have been the toughest course of the season but that is NOT the case any longer. Today they ran on the toughest course far harder than this Wednesday.

They went to the Herriman Invitational Cross Country Steeple Chase at Providence Hall Middle School.  3.1 mile (5 KM) weaving and hilly cross country course is one of a kind and was designed and created specifically for this Invitational. There are 5 Water Jumps and a few really BIG hills!

Let me show you what a real Cross Country Course looks like. I had not seen anything like it before in this the first season of Millika's running life! Millika was running on our Varsity Team and there were 9 teams of 6-7 girls from each school, so 59 girls in this race.

Our Girls Varsity Team getting ready for the race and as always they are starting with a prayer!

Here they go, our Team is in the middle of the picture!

This is the beginning of the race. Millika is keeping up with the front runners.

This is the biggest hill of the course! I am standing half way up it and it is a monster! This hill is about 2,5 miles into the race so the runners are already a bit worn out!

Millika is taking one LONG look at the Monster Hill and then she is going for it HEAD on and strong!

Look at that face! She is not giving up! She will make it to the top running!

And here Mille passes runner number 2!

Here Mille is at the top of the hill! McKay is cheering her on and so is Spencer! Mille is in the lead.


At the Finish line her Team Mates from Woods Cross High School cheer her on!

McKay is supporting her. She did it but she is beat and can hardly stand needless to say walk.

McKay, Grandpa, Grandma, Mille, Dad and Mom, part of her Cheer Team :o)

 Top 7 girls in the Race got a GOLD medal. They are the Team A Varsity girls. These girls are from many different High Schools. The BEST from their schools in this race today!

In the Team competition our Varsity girls took 2 place! Way to go girls!

And here she is with her Daddy!! Nobody gives a better HUG than him at end end of a hard race. That is Mille's own words :o)

Overall Millika came in as number 4 out of 59 girls. She ran the course in 21 min 8 sec. She was the first girl from our school to cross the finish line. She ran up that HUGE Monster hill which she told me after was the reason she did not take 2nd place. When she got to the top of that hill she could NOT fell her legs and that is where 2 runners passed her. She was okay with taking 4th place but she was mad at herself for have 2 runners pass her right before the end of the race when she had second place within reach! We think she did great today and we are proud of her efforts!! Keep up the great job Girl! We love you!

Video Clip on Millika's Movie page.

Mika turns 18 years old!

YEP.... It is TRUE Mika turned 18 years old today! I feel like it was just a few years ago we were at the hospital and saw her for the first time. I really must be getting old ;o)

Here are a few pictures for you to share her birthday breakfast table and to see what she got!! Thanks to ALL of you that remembered her on her special day. I have the BEST family ;o)

Here is her table before she has opened any gifts. A lot of her FAVORITE DANISH candy are on the table! She made sure I put it in bags for her so she could savor it later!

You got to have your FAVORITE breakfast on your birthday so Mika is having HANKIES :o)

What is that look at ?? Lulu is of course part of the party! She knows where the fun is! She had saved many bones for a LONG time to buy Mika a nice neck-less :o)

Mika seems to be saying NO WAY what is this gift!

Two of the gifts she got from Mormor and Morfar! A Birdie figurine and a neck-less from Royal Copenhagen. It is very special, rare and hard to find and Mika LOVED it!!

Her gift Table! She got many great things and she loved all of it!!

Mika had a great morning and she is had a good time at school also. All in all a great birthday!

Millika with WXHS Cross Country Teams at Muller Park Junior High School

Today Millika ran the toughest race of the season meaning it was the hardest course because of how difficult it is. It has LOTS of hills and it is 2.8 miles (4.5 KM). There were 3 High School there today Bountiful, East and Woods Cross and about 40+ girls ran the race.

Millika and 3 other Varsity girls were told to stick together for the first 1.5 miles and just keep a slower pace. This was because they have an important race on Saturday and because the course was so hard.  The Coaches did not want the runners to burn out or feel down.

Lets just say this was a hard thing for Millika to do, because when she races she is in her own little bobble and just want to run HER race. But she did it and it was a good lesson for her to learn.

Look at this view! The Bountiful Temple in the background. It was a great day for a race!

Here are all the girls ready to go. And the race is on!!

Millika was told to take it slower and stay with the other girls for the first 1.5 miles! When they got to the point where they could go on their own the 2 other girls told Millika this " Just go win your race Mil, you are free to take off" And she did :o)

Millika is in the background and here she lapses the girl in the front of the picture. It means she is one full lap ahead for that girl.

And here Millika comes in as # 1 :o) She owned the race and she did it with grace.

She ran the 2.8 miles (4.5 KM) in 18 Min 42 Sec. it was not a personal best but remember she was told to hold back for the first 1.5 miles. Also she came to a dead stop more than once because she did not know what way to run and of course that slowed her down too.  It was the toughest course of the season and she still pulled it off. WOW.... girl you are AMAZING!!!

All the coaches talked to me after and they all said that Millika is a fantastic runner and has so much talent. One of them said this " it is like she has a switch and when she turns it on there is NOTHING that can stop her from just going out there and doing her BEST" Yep... that is our Mille :o)

Video on Millika's video Page.