Born to Run

Dusty dirt roads and trails snake through the desert in northeastern Arizona. High school junior Jihad Nodman, 17, knows these paths well. He spent the summer on them, training hard for another big running season.

Nodman runs cross-country for Hopi High School. His team is called the Bruins. It’s one of the best in the country. Last year, Nodman helped the Bruins win the Arizona state championship for the 27th year in a row. That’s the longest winning streak ever for a cross-country team!

Northeastern Arizona is a desert. Dusty dirt roads snake through the area. Jihad Nodman, knows these paths well. He is 17 and a high school junior. He spent the summer on them. He was training hard for another big running season.

Nodman runs cross-country for Hopi High School. His team is called the Bruins. It's one of the best in the country. Last year, Nodman helped the Bruins win the Arizona state championship. They have won for 27 years straight. That's the longest winning streak ever for a cross-country team!

JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN®

But the Bruins don’t just compete for glory. These teens also run to connect to their culture. The Hopi are a Native American tribe with a long history of racing. Tribe members ran between villages to deliver messages and fetch water. Running also became a part of their ceremonies.

But the Bruins don't just compete for glory. These teens also run to connect to their culture. The Hopi are a Native American tribe. They have a long history of racing. Tribe members ran between villages. They did this to deliver messages and fetch water. Running also became a part of their ceremonies.

One of the fastest Hopi runners was Lewis Tewanima, who was born in 1888. As a child, people say, he and his friends would run 50 miles from their village to the nearest city just to see the trains go by. Then they would run home.

When Tewanima grew up, he ran in the Olympics—twice! In the 1912 Games in Stockholm, Sweden, he won a silver medal. He ran 10,000 meters (6.2 miles) in less than 33 minutes. No one in the United States could beat his record for 52 years!

One of the fastest Hopi runners was Lewis Tewanima. He was born in 1888. As a child he and his friends would run 50 miles from their village to the nearest city. They would do this just to see the trains go by. Then they would run home.

When Tewanima grew up, he ran in the Olympics-twice! He won a silver medal at the 1912 Games in Stockholm, Sweden. He ran 10,000 meters (6.2 miles) in less than 33 minutes. No one in the United States could beat his record for 52 years!

Courtesy of Navajo-Hopi Observer/Stan Bindell

Hopi High School junior Jihad Nodman

“The Bruins are descendants of those ancestors,” says Rick Baker, the team’s coach. He was born in the Hopi village of Tewa. He started the cross-country program at Hopi High 30 years ago and has coached the team ever since. “They’re naturally long-distance athletes,” he says.

This month, Nodman and his teammates plan to return to the state championships to defend their title. Will they take first place yet again? “The team is excited, but the pressure is on,” says Baker. “No one wants to break the winning streak.”

"The Bruins are descendants of those ancestors," says Rick Baker. He is the team's coach. He was born in the Hopi village of Tewa. He started the crosscountry program at Hopi High 30 years ago. He has coached the team ever since. "They're naturally long-distance athletes," he says.

This month, Nodman and his teammates plan to return to the state championships. They want to defend their title. Will they take first place yet again? "The team is excited, but the pressure is on," says Baker. "No one wants to break the winning streak."

All of the Bruins’ championship trophies fit into 3 display cases. Each case has 9 trophies. Which answer choice represents how many trophies the Bruins have won?

A.
9 x 9

B.
3 + 9

A.
9 x 9

B.
3 + 9

C.

D.
9 + 9 + 9

During a typical practice, coach Baker has the Bruins run a 5-minute mile. The team does this 4 times. Which number sentence or model does NOT represent the total number of minutes the Bruins spend on this exercise?

A.
5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20

B.
5 + 4 = 9

A.
5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20

B.
5 + 4 = 9

C.

D.
5 x 4 = 20

On average, a Bruin runs 7 miles a day for 5 days a week. Draw a model that represents how many total miles a Bruin runs each week.

What product does your model show?

The night before a race, the Bruins get together for a big meal of pasta and sauce. A cooking pot holds 2 bags of pasta. If coach Baker wants to cook 8 pots of pasta, how many bags should he buy? Prove your answer.

To travel to competitions, the Bruins pile into vans. The team needs 4 vans and each van holds 7 runners. Compare the following models for the total number of runners. Which model(s) represent the expression of 4 x 7? Explain.