Cross Country Reflections

XC Reflections 2024:

Summer Turns Into Fall Turns Into Winter Turns Into Spring…

One of the things that I love most about coaching is the cyclical nature of the seasons. Having done this now for 43 years, this fall is my 85th total season. This particular one will be quite memorable for many reasons. In addition to it being the last XC season for a group of four seniors it is also the first for eight freshmen. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the mentorship and the example that the veteran presence provided for this group of neophytes. While I will certainly miss Elyan, Owen, Vincent, and my daughter, Bella, next year, I am quite positive that the tone they have set for Harry, Brady, Kweli, Carter, Adley, Anna, Esther, and Hazel will not be forgotten over their next four years.

As the coaches looked at the prospects of our teams’ chances at the end of last spring’s T&F season, we had high hopes for our boys and girls teams qualifying for the state XC championship meet. We had, on paper, quite an assemblage of harriers that were likely candidates for a top 2 (boys) and top 3 (girls) finish. With only a few exceptions, we also had our best total summer miles run by our harriers. They saw the example that the veterans set, and realized that by doing the work over the summer off-season, they could achieve something special. We began with high hopes and expectations but soon met with unforeseeable setbacks. Four returners from last year’s teams (#s 3 and 7 boys and #s 2 and 3 girls) decided to not continue doing XC. While typically, a loss of that significance would prove to be insurmountable, we were fortunate to have several newcomers join to offset those losses.

The first trickle of new blood came from two T&F athletes from last spring, Jake Eiler and James Pitzen, who caught the running bug and soon realized that in order to get better, they should run XC. Jake would ultimately impact the team by taking his turn as the #3-6 man on the team. The next wave came from a batch of ninth graders who had run in middle school. Ninth graders would fill our #s 4 (Harry); 6 (Brady); 7 (Kweli) on the boys team and #s 2/1 (Adley); 3-4-5 (Anna, Esther, & Hazel).  Our biggest surprise came from the addition of senior Owen Kuhl, who eventually would become our # 1 runner.

Additionally, we would add some sophomores (Fernando and James) who would break into the varsity 7. For the first time, we would have enough boys to field a full JV team (James, Fernando, Aiden, Jude, Carter, & Tyler).

Our season would begin with an outstanding showing at the 36th Annual Crusader XC Invitational, where the Crusader harriers would put four boys (Dawson 4th, Elyan 5th, Vincent 6th, and Harry  9th) and girls (Bella 1st, Adley 2nd, Natalie 6th, Anna 9th) in the top ten spots, which would earn them both team victories. So it was with lofty expectations that this blend of veterans and rookies would lead to an exciting season. 

An “exciting” season, it most definitely turned out to be, but sometimes “exciting” can also be manifested in anxious moments or dealing with setbacks. This is the beauty of sport in my mind. My hope for my athletes as their coach is that I will hopefully be able to instill in them the ability to use their lessons from sports to navigate life. Experiencing the lessons of commitment to an individual goal and a collective team goal can be life-shaping. Perhaps even more important are the lessons a young athlete can learn from dealing with setbacks or disappointment. While those experiences are never desired, seeing how this year’s harriers dealt with both triumphs and trials was inspiring.

Triumphs this season included 36x lifetime Personal Records (25 boys & 11 girls); 49x Season Records (35 boys & 14 girls); two first-place finish victories (Bella); 26x top-10 finishes (10 boys & 16 girls); one First Team All-District (Adley); two Second Team All-District (Bella & Owen); and one State Qualifier (Adley).

Trials included everything from the mundane (showing up for a meet without sweats, showing up without their singlet, showing up without their shoes, missing the early departure of the bus), scheduling (the cancellation of the Clam Beach Run which prompted the cancellation of our Redwoods overnight trip); amusing (running a race in stocking feet after a shoe came untied); serious (coming down with Covid two weeks before season); unfortunate timing (throwing up mid-race; nursing a recurring lower leg injury; getting sick a few days before district; and another team member getting sick a few days before state); implausible (despite being ranked 16th in the girls 3A/2A/1A rankings being overlooked by the At-Large Selection Committee, and missing out on the opportunity to have our team compete at state); to the debilitating (our #1 returning athlete suffering from low ferritin over the course of the season). With all of these setbacks, I am proud to say that each of the team members not only dealt with their struggles but were supported by or supportive of their impacted teammates.

Returning to the seasonal nature of things, I look forward to what looms on the horizon. For the first time in quite some time, I have seen a large number of runners who have seen how valuable it is for their improvement to run in the off-season. I am secretly happy to see that I have a handful of athletes who are planning on running off-season road races, including half marathons and marathons. It takes me back to my younger days when I was inspired by my high school coach to run longer races, including seven marathons during my high school and college career. Speaking of college running careers, this season has brought about a very personal journey for me, watching my daughter navigate the process of collegiate athletics recruitment. I am incredibly proud of seeing how Bella has kept things in a healthy perspective during a season that was filled with challenges. I look forward to seeing where her journey will take her, as I know that she will continue to grow as an athlete and as a human being.

At the conclusion of any season, it is a good time to take stock and remember to thank all those who made things possible. I am extremely grateful for this group of student-athletes who have dedicated their time to pursue doing something so unique. I’d also like to thank the parents who have entrusted your student-athletes to our coaching. Your support and encouragement at meets have been so important to our success. To my assistant coaches, Nicki and Dilan, I am so grateful for your dedication and enthusiasm for this team and this sport.