Photo by Channing Sidders

Rieck races against other schools during the meet. He was half way through the course.

On Sept. 12, the Elkhorn North cross country team competed in the Platte River Rumble where senior Derek Rieck-Capellan broke the school record for the boys 5k and placed 9th overall out of 168 other runners.

The original record was held at a time of 16:20 set by Ryker Pithan back in 2023; Rieck ran a 16:17, beating the time by three seconds. This time for Rieck means his mile split is 5:21.

“It was kind of the plan for him (Rieck) to be the one to break it,” cross country coach Jordan Fuglestad said. “We didn’t know exactly when it would happen, so finally seeing him get it done and over with means that he can focus on state now.”

Although his new accomplishment of breaking the school record captured many eyes, it was not the only reason people were impressed. Rieck started cross country as a junior, meaning his running career started last year.

“He keeps getting better at a faster rate compared to other people, because he hasn’t done it for as long and that’s really unique,” Fuglestad said. “People saw how fast he was when he started, and it’s really surprising people how much faster he’s getting.”

As the season progresses, Rieck and the rest of the team hopes to earn a title at state by continuously putting in hard work and training every day.

“Derek has a bunch of energy. He keeps on going and never really stops,” senior Kason Krings said. “He just keeps pushing even when it’s hard.