Josey and Hattie Neesvig run in National Junior Olympic XC meet

Standout running sisters Josey and Hattie Neesvig competed in the National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Madison, Wisconsin Dec. 14.

Josey, a junior in Thompson Falls High School, and Hattie, an eighth grader, have both ran, and ran well for the Thompson Falls cross country team the past several years.

More than 2,700 runners from across the country competed for national honors at the Yahara Hills Golf Course, as Josey competed in the 15/16 age class and Hattie ran in the 13/14 division. Josey reportedly finished in the top 25 of her age group, an outstanding result by any running measure.

Combining a family trip back home with the event, Josey and Hattie's mother Shana Neesvig, a reporter at the Ledger, said that the race was held approximately a mile and a-half from her childhood home, making the logistics of attending the race much more practical.

Ironically, Shana also worked at the golf course where the race was held for a short time as a teenager in Madison.