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Basic carpentry skills and running cross-country aren’t usually thought of together, but the Washington High School team will show off both skill sets shortly.

Coach Dawn Landen posted the above photo on social media recently to ask for donations of lumber so several problem areas along the 5K course at WHS could be repaired. The course winds through the woods behind the football field and around some other athletic fields and time and nature has taken a toll along three foot bridges.

“There are several holes in the wood on one bridge, parts of another have worn away over time with consistent moisture and use and one was built by a former runner as his senior project 12 years ago,” Landen said. “We do maintenance on the course every year, but we haven’t replaced this much wood at the same time.”

Shortly after the post appeared, a person from IBX lumber contacted Landen and offered to deliver enough wood to repair one of the bridges Then two more individuals in the community had left over wood from home projects that they wanted to give.

“I’m thrilled the way this all came together and really appreciate what those folks are doing for us,” Landen said. “Running over boards that are half gone or filled with holes is not safe for our kids to practice on every day and we can’t host a meet with them in that condition.

We’ll get the wood together this week and have a work day hopefully next week. It will be good for the kids to help with the repairs and see the finished product.”

The team has been working out at seven a.m. Monday-Thursday in preparation for the first day of official practice August 1. The boys qualified as a team last fall, while rising junior Haley Broadwell qualified as an individual for the girls team