Payson Junior High's Annual Fun Run

Students at Payson Junior High had a great time participating in the school’s annual Fun Run on October 19.  The Fun Run, which has been organized annually by Jennifer Braithwaite, helps promote fitness and living a healthy lifestyle.  True to tradition, this year’s run had a huge number of student and faculty participants. This year 287 students and faculty participated which is up significantly from last year’s number of 184 students and faculty members who participated. The two-mile course annually begins and ends at the Payson High School track which makes it fun for the spectators and runners to cheer the racers as they begin and finish the race.

This year’s overall winner was Dakota Lange an eighth grader at PJHS. Top finishers for the girls in each grade were Maris Mortenson (seventh grade), Sydney Thomas (eighth grade), and Calli Jensen (ninth grade).  The boys top finishers were Dylan Armstrong (seventh grade), Dakota Lange (eighth grade and overall winner), and Dylan Wyberg (ninth grade).  The top faculty finisher was Mr. Bird (the cross country coach). The top ten finishers in each the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades qualified to run in the Principal’s Challenge which was held on November 2.

 “This is one of the best activities we do all year,” said Jesse Sorenson, an administrative assistant at Payson Junior High. Sorenson went on to say, “There aren’t many other activities that get as many of our students involved like the Fun Run does.”

Jennifer Braithwaite added, “The students ran a great race. The weather was great, the conditions were great, and the race went smoothly. We’d like to see even more students out next year.”