Four Ibrahims power small town Oregon team

By Adam Kopet of DyeStat

OREGON – The Jefferson boys cross country team has big aspirations. Thanks to four brothers, all immigrants from East Africa, this small school south of Salem is hoping to win its first state title in cross country at the OSAAA Class 3A/2A/1A race on Nov. 5.

Two years ago, a state title was not on anyone's radar. Jefferson's current success can all be attributed to the Ibrahim brothers -- Sulieman (senior), Hassan (junior), Abdi (sophomore) and Ahmed (freshman) -- three of them in their first season of cross country for the Lions.

That is because two years ago, the Ibrahims lived more than an hour north of rural Jefferson in the Portland suburb of Gresham. There, the oldest two boys, Sulieman and Hassan, were running cross country for Class 6A David Douglas.

The Ibrahim story does not begin in Gresham, however. The brothers were born in Kenya. The  family lived in a refugee camp after escaping the violence in Somalia.

Life in the camp was not easy. Food arrived once a month. The water system broke frequently, sometimes for weeks at a time. The hardest part was that they could not leave.

In the camp, there were two choices. “Stay there or go back to your country,” Hassan said, describing how it worked. “It wasn't safe to go back to our country.”

“Sometimes you lose the water like for two weeks,” Abdi said about life in the camp. “And you have to wait until they fix it.”

But that all changed in 2012, when all 10 members of the Ibrahim family were granted admittance into the United States. It was then that they settled in Gresham.

In the refugee camp, the Ibrahim brothers developed a love for sports other than running, namely soccer and basketball. These were sports they could play without leaving the camp. Those interests did not change when they moved to the U.S.

Entering David Douglas, Hassan built upon his one season of middle school track and saw instant success on the cross country course, going on to place 11th at the Oregon 6A State Championships. Sulieman, a year older and joining his brother in cross country for the first time, finished 51st.

With just a few weeks left in the school year, the Ibrahims made another move. Looking for affordable housing, the family made their way south to Jefferson, a small town surrounded on all sides by farmland, arriving in June 2015.

At their new school, only Hassan opted to continue with cross country. He finished second at the Oregon 3A/2A/1A state championships. Poul Murtha, Jefferson's cross country coach, tried to convince Sulieman and Abdi to join the team, but the draw of getting ready for basketball season was too strong.

Track season proved to be a turning point. All three brothers came out for the team and all three not only qualified for the Oregon 3A State Meet, but scored points for the Lions.

This fall, all four brothers came out for the team. And it has given Jefferson a significant boost. On Oct. 20, Jefferson bested district rival East Linn Christian by five points in a district crossover and preview meet at Salem's Bush Pasture Park. Hassan won the race and all four brothers placed in the top six.

“Hassan, he made me do it,” Ahmed said about coming out for the team. “We all did it.”

“Try the first two weeks.” Abdi recalled Hassan telling them. “If it feels good you can just keep going.”

Keep going they have. Hassan leads the way, having run under 16 minutes this season. Abdi, Ahmed and Sulieman have all run in the mid-16:30's at some point this season.

As the Ibrahims look ahead to the end of the season, they have two goals: Win a district title and then win a state title. They know it will not be easy. They are only a part of the team and it takes more than four runners to win a cross country meet.

But regardless of the outcome of this season, the Ibrahims are enjoying the moment. In Abdi's words, with a sentiment echoed by all four, “It's always fun running with your brothers.”