The South Christian Cross Country teams kicked off the 2025 season once again as hosts of the 5th annual Under the Lights Invite! This year, a record 87 high school teams traveled from around the state to participate in this one-of-a-kind event. The high school races took place well after sunset on a course illuminated by over twenty light towers! The favorable weather and perfect course conditions allowed for some incredible racing by athletes from all teams. This event was an early opportunity for teams to see how they measured up as many of the races featured future conference, regional, and state match-ups. Sailor athletes showed grit and determination, with numerous athletes setting lifetime personal records during their first performances of the season! The South Christian boys team competed in the Starlight Division against 22 other schools and started their season with a 3rd-place finish! The Sailors were led by junior Ben Verlin who opened his season with a lifetime PR of 16:34 to finish in 5th place. Senior Thad VanderLaan was next to cross the line for the Sailors, in 11th place, running a time of 16:57. Junior Josiah Rozema finished in 14th place, running a time of 17:06. Freshmen Nate Zondervan and Logan Kelly started their seasons off strong by running times of 18:19 (42nd place) and 18:57 (64th place) to make up the varsity score. The Sailor women also competed in the Starlight Division against 18 other schools and made a statement by coming away with a first-place finish and scoring only 52 points! The SC ladies were led by senior Chloe Rinzema, freshman Lily VanEyk and sophomore Tiffany DeMaagd who finished in the 5th, 6th, and 7th places with times of 19:30, 19:34, and 19:37, respectively. Freshman Isabelle Oostema had an impressive season-opening race, running a time of 20:51 and finishing in 16th place. Senior Lydia Huisman was the 5th runner across the line for the Sailors in 18th place with a time of 20:59. Full meet results can be found at https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/247789/info. The South Christian Cross Country teams open up the OK Gold Conference season on Thursday, September 4 at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids.