One day during the summer, Makenna Faubion decided to go for a run. 

There was not necessarily a reason as to why besides a simple burst of energy and a reason to get out of bed. 

That first day was hard as Faubion ran, and admittedly sometimes walked, two miles on a hot, humid day. 

“I wanted to die. It was so bad and I had to walk so much. It was the furthest I ever ran,” the Warrenton senior said. 

But, she stuck with it. 

Two seemingly impossible miles turned into an easier three.  

At first, Faubion had no intention of trying out for the school’s cross country team. However, something that initially made her want to “die” soon turned into something she enjoyed. 

“I kept at it through the summer thinking it’ll maybe get me in shape and just give me something to do. Then, I started doing summer conditioning with the team,” Faubion said. “Once I got to that three-mile point, I thought ‘I can do this.’” 

Fast forward a few months later, Faubion has consistently been the top performer for the Warrenton girl’s cross country team – and one of the area's best. 

With a personal best time of 21 minutes, 42 seconds that was set in the White Division race of the Gans Creek Classic on Sept. 27, Faubion is seeded as No. 29 in the Class 4, District 3 rankings. 

“She works hard and goes into every meet with a good attitude,” coach Jeremy Collins said. “It’s really neat to see her do everything she is supposed to do and have this success.” 

When Faubion first came out to a summer workout, Collins immediately took note of her competitive drive. 

“She’s played other sports and she seemed like a competitor, so I was excited to see how that competitiveness would translate into cross country,” Collins said. 

Faubion remembers her first team workout a little differently. 

“It was rough. It was really hot outside and I thought ‘oh, what did I get myself into?’” Faubion said with a laugh. “But, over time, it got better and better. My first meet I wanted to get under 25 (minutes), but I ended up getting somewhere in the 23’s. That was a really good moment for me and I realized I actually love this a lot.” 

Faubion’s adherent drive has taken her to new heights. In Warrenton’s six meets so far this season, Faubion has PR’ed in five of them. 

“I really do push myself super hard in practice and I would say that’s what helps me the most,” Faubion said. “My goal is to always make practice harder than meets, so then if I can get myself through practices, I know I can get through the meets.” 

Most nights before a meet, Faubion often visualizes how she wants her race to go, and of course, seeing her family and friends cheer her on has helped her stay motivated. 

“When I go to bed at night, I always visualize my race and how I want to be at this part and this part,” she said. 

Faubion has her sights set high for the rest of the season, which includes a trip to the state meet – and of course, more PRs. 

“I would love to get to state. I don’t know if that’s going to happen but that would be so awesome if I could do it my first year – and in my senior year – of cross country,” Faubion said. 

Collins shares those goals and added he has high hopes for her earning an all-conference nod. 

“She’s ranked 29th going into districts, so I think state is a pretty realistic goal to have. It would be cool to see her coming out her first year as a senior and qualifying for state,” Collins said. 

Not only has Faubion excelled on the course, she has also become a valuable leader for the team. 

“Sometimes when you join the team and it’s your first year, you’re quiet and kind of follow the flow of everything. But, she has really taken on a leadership role,” Collins said. “She encourages everybody and everybody encourages her. It’s really neat to see her do this as a first-year runner.” 

As Warrenton has hit its midway point of the season, Faubion reflected on that day in the summer when she decided to go on a run. 

“(When I first joined) I just wanted to be under 25 minutes and to be able to finish. I would have never expected to be in the 21s like I am now. Each race, I look at my watch when I finish and I’m like ‘wow, how did I get here?’ It’s unbelievable,” Faubion said.