Wiesbaden’s Linden Pickler topped the girls’ field at the 2025 DODEA European cross country championships at Baumholder, Germany, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

Linden Pickler swears nothing’s different for her during championship cross country meets compared to regular races.

That’s hard to believe, considering the Wiesbaden sophomore’s success.

One year after surprising the state of Kansas for a 6A state crown as a freshman, Pickler produced an encore an ocean and continent away, winning the 2025 DODEA European title at Baumholder’s Rolling Hill Golf Course in Germany on Nov. 1.

In both races, while entering as one of the top runners, she wasn’t the favorite. In both races, Stars and Stripes’ 2025 European cross country Athlete of the Year crossed the line in first.

“Even if I don’t think I’m going to win, it’s still really nice because these girls are as strong, if not stronger than me,” Pickler said. “So, it will push me to the best I can be.

“It’s just a lot of adrenaline before the race. I feel like that every race. It’s just a matter of staying with the top group and pushing myself.”

Pushing herself led to a time of 20 minutes, 24.55 seconds. Lakeheath’s Molly Smith was second at 20:38.50.

Pickler gave Wiesbaden yet another individual champion after a one-year hiatus. Before that, alumnus Luke Jones had won three straight boys titles.

“I’ve gotten a lot of congratulations from around the school and my friends and family,” Pickler said. “It’s felt good, and I’m glad I can end the season on a good note.”

For all her individual success, Pickler cares more about the team. The Warriors came short of their goal of a crown, placing second behind longtime Division I powerhouse Stuttgart 37-57.

The daughter of Army Col. Jeffrey and Amy Pickler said she learned that team-first mentality early in her cross country career. She said the sport isn’t about times and placement but instead the community and camaraderie of the squad.

“I wasn’t really there to be running,” Pickler said of why she picked up the sport. “I was there because I wanted to make friends. I just realized that all these cross country runners were so amazing and sweet and just realized what a great team we could build together, make it a lot more enjoyable.”

Enjoyable is not how anybody would describe this year’s Euros.

The conditions were not conducive for good times because of the rain, and the girls race came after the boys, making the course even worse. Pickler said many of her teammates slipped during the championships despite wearing spikes.

The course even claimed SHAPE’s Cassandra Jarzabek, one of Pickler’s toughest competitors. Jarzabek, DODEA-Pacific’s 2024 champion and recordholder, dropped out around 1.8 miles into the 3.1-mile race.

“It was really muddy and slippery and not a good course to run on that particular day,” Pickler said. “I don’t think I’ve experienced a course as wet as that. I’ve gone at meets where it’s been rainy, but it hasn’t been that slippery and muddy.”

Although it didn’t materialize on Nov. 1, Pickler and Jarzabek, along with Smith, have the makings for a great rivalry heading into spring’s track and field season and next fall’s cross campaign.

The trio posted nine of Europe’s Top 10 times during the regular season, too, with the other coming from Zoe Bentley out of Zurich International, a non-DODEA institution. They also were the only runners to break 20 minutes this season.

Pickler couldn’t contain her enthusiasm to see Jarzabek and Smith on the tracks and courses throughout Europe.

“They are really, really sweet,” Pickler said. “Just getting to know them over a day and getting to talk to them, it makes me really excited for the future, getting to race them again.”

In the meantime, Pickler is shooting to improve her times from this fall. Her best time – 19:22 on Sept. 27 at her home course – was 45 seconds slower than her Kansas-winning performance as a freshman.

The Wiesbaden sophomore didn’t chalk it up to the hilly courses in Europe – she was adamant that Kansas, despite its reputation as being flat, had some tough races.

Pickler attributed the slower times to getting acclimated to the environment and the new training style at Wiesbaden.

She’s going to work on that going forward.

“This season was not my best time wise, so I’m just hoping to improve and get better than I was before,” Pickler said.