They’re off and running while leaving their mark on the cross country scene.
Mercer Island High School senior speedsters Bodie Thomas and Matthew Lawrence possess dedication, strong work ethics and leadership skills, said head coach Susan Empey as she watched them finish up a run on a recent afternoon.
Empey noted that they’re good training partners and friends, and it showed as they were smiling after their workout: “They push each other to be better. And because they have each other to train with, they each make the other person better,” she said.
Both Islanders have been notching solid times this season and will continue gliding their feet across the cross country terrain at the NCAA Division I level a year from now. Thomas is currently ranked first in the 3A state, according to athletic.net, with a personal record (PR) time of 14:32 in the 5,000 meters; Lawrence is ranked third with a PR of 14:43. Those stellar runs occurred on Sept. 20 at the Mook XC Invite at Alderbrook Golf Course near Tillamook, Oregon.
At the Mook, Thomas broke 2025 MIHS graduate Owen Powell’s school record of 14:40.
“You kind of look at Owen Powell, and you’re like, ‘No one’s going to touch those records.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, well, Bodie just did,’” Empey said.
Looking back on his exciting Mook experience on the fast course, Thomas noted: “When I saw the time, I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s ridiculous.’ So I was really happy with the time there and happy to get the school record.”
Thomas, who took third at the Mook, said he enjoys the training part of cross country the most because it prepares him for what awaits at the races while he’s competing against the other athletes.
“I really like getting into a rhythm and just like, ‘OK, I’ve got a race or something or a time as a target,’ and I can kind of set my mind on that and get to work trying to run those times that will get me in that shape,” he said.
Lawrence said the Islanders had a fun time training strong over the summer to prepare for the season.
“I’m definitely happy with the times and the races I’ve been putting up, but I think postseason is where I’m focused,” he said. “I think state and NXR (Northwest Regional Championships) are going to be great, and even beyond then. I like to run in big races with big packs of people, so I love the competition.”
With tons of energy on his side as a kid, Lawrence gravitated toward running and hasn’t looked back.
“Running is not an easy sport, but I feel like it’s a very accomplishing sport and a very rewarding sport by how hard it is. You can very easily track your improvement and just track out how you’ve gotten better over the years,” he said.
The Reporter asked Thomas and Lawrence a series of questions to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their lives:
What’s your favorite movie of all time?
Thomas: This was kind of the most recent one I really enjoyed. It’s probably up there for me, honestly, is “The Big Short.”
Lawrence: I’m going to have to go with “Interstellar.” That’s one of the greatest movies of all time.
What superpower would you like to have?
Thomas: I think being able to fly would be really cool. There’s something about it — it would just be freeing.
Lawrence: Probably freeze time. I feel like you can do so many more things if you have extra time on your hands.
What’s your favorite subject in school?
Thomas: My favorite subject is math, I would say. I’ve always really liked it. And I think the biggest thing is that it has so many applications. Math can be applied to physics and stats and chemistry and social sciences. It’s kind of like a universal language of types.
Lawrence: Also math. I think I really like how there’s definite right or wrong answers. There’s no really debating it. You’re either right or you’re wrong, and like Bodie said, it’s like a problem-solving skill that you can take and put into anything else in the future.
So, Bodie? What’s the best thing about being pals with Matthew?
Thomas: Matthew always motivates me, and when things are getting down, he’s super encouraging and super nice to have a training partner to run workouts with. Owen left, and we did workouts with him, but now it’s just us, and it’s super nice being able to push off each other in workouts and just encouraging each other.
Matthew, best part about Bodie?
Lawrence: It’s really helpful that we’re in the same grade to train with each other. He’s always on top of mileage and everything, so it’s really helpful to go off of him to get some knowledge on what we should be doing or how we should be doing certain workouts and stuff. It’s really helpful to have him.
