THE TRIP TO OREGON…
Wednesday:
Wednesday morning we all woke up early to go to the Kennett YMCA to aqua jog. I had to wake up extra early to drop off some last minute homework to the school! After aqua jogging, we all went home to finish packing and we ended up reconvening at a centrally located Post Office. From there we headed off to the airport. It was a long day of travel and by the end of it we were all pooped! We had dinner at the hotel and went off to unpack and go to bed.
Thursday: Thursday was basically gear day! We woke up to delicious Nike Running themed waffles in one of the ballroom type dining areas! I also had some bacon and a glass of apple juice. Then we had some down time and it was off to the Tiger Woods Center! Nike had our schedule planned out perfectly so that we never had too much down time and we never felt rushed either. When we got to the Tiger Woods Center, we took A LOT of pictures (some with Pennsbury and Henderson) and waited our turn to get our gear. When it was our turn, we were ushered into a dark hallway leading to a room filled with music, flashing lights, and our lockers! I loved and was so grateful for all of the gear! It was like Christmas came early! After we were geared up, we went on a distance run and did some striders. We saw Jordan Hasay doing a workout, which was pretty cool. We spent the rest of the day hanging out in the Athlete Lounge (playing Ping-Pong), meeting new friends, having dinner in the Mia Hamm Center, getting to know the other teams and athletes through the photo reel, and getting another good night’s sleep!
Friday: I felt the nerves pick up a little after we had our waffles and began to head out to Portland Meadows, where the course is. On the way, I noticed something that made me think back to NXN years past. I have no idea how to describe my feelings as I came out into the bright grandstand facing the course. I was shocked- I thought, “Is this really it? The legendary course is looping and flat and all contained within a horse track?” I kept wondering if the course left the racetrack to end up finishing back inside…it did not. The girls and I joked that NXN was basically the Hunger Games. The course was a contained arena where the game makers watched while all of the runners fought to the death. We felt a little better after we jogged the course and had lunch, but the mood had shifted and the nerves were building. Later that night we attended a Nike Pro Athlete Q&A in the Tiger Woods Center followed by dinner again in the Mia Hamm center. I really enjoyed hearing what all the Pros had to say- especially their embarrassing moments because they were so funny! After we got back to the hotel, we went to bed extra early because the race was the next day!
Saturday: Race Day! We like to get up early on race day because that is what we always do and Lac doesn’t want us to get thrown off schedule before a race. Some of the girls get up really early on the team (Olivia and Courtney), but personally I love sleeping in so I don’t wake up until someone makes me. I was really nervous the morning of the race so at breakfast, it took me an hour to eat two Nike waffles! I compulsively checked the time and it seemed that it was flying by! I kept wishing I had more time to mentally prepare for the race, which was creeping up so quickly! On the bus to Portland Meadows I sat with the Midwest? Girls representative. Toward the end of the bus ride we started talking and he told me to enjoy every second of the experience. That was helpful and I relaxed a little. We went through all of our regular pre race rituals including our special huddle right before the race, which always includes Gretchen Mills starting off with “Dear sweet baby Jesus, 6 pounds 11 ounces…” We had introductions and last minute advice from Lac before the race went out.
The Race: From the beginning of the race I felt something was off- and I was right. The race went out so quickly as we had expected and it was hard to get a good position right off the bat. Little did I know Courtney (who we were with through the first 800) fell around the 1000-meter mark and spent the rest of the race making up the ground she had lost. I never felt that I settled into the race (probably because I couldn’t feel anything because of the cold), but I remember trying to stick with Olivia through the 2500-meter mark as the usual goal is. With about 800 meters to go, I jumped over a hay bale, and came down awkwardly on my ankle, ultimately spraining it. I lost about 4+ places, but on the final straightaway, I gained almost all of them back. It was so cold, I forgot about the pain of my ankle easily. I was shivering uncontrollably and after I went to the medical tent and came back for a mini team interview (where I learned we placed 7th), Lac told me to find warmth in the Grandstand while the girls did their cool-down. I was proud of our team for the obstacles we had to overcome in the race and where we ended up. Three points out of All American is a little frustrating, but as Lac would say- that’s life!
Post Race: After our Race, I had the pleasure of watching the boy’s race from the grandstand! It was incredible and something I will never forget. I was personally rooting for Henderson and it was cool to watch Tony Russell lead the race for a while! I was also rooting for Cerake Geberkidane, because he’s just a cool guy! His strides were so effortless and he was really fun to watch! It was also really special to watch the winner take over the race and win by a substantial distance. After the races, the nerves were gone and everyone could enjoy themselves at lunch at the hotel, and at the dance later that evening. The dance was really fun-better than most high school dances!
Summer Training: Looking back, my summer training is something what you would call “lacking”. I really didn’t know I would even be doing Cross Country until halfway through the summer. I had played soccer both years in middle school and in Freshman year, so of course that was the plan for Sophomore year too…until I got a Facebook message from Olivia Young asking me to come out to a summer practice. I said I would go to two to see if I liked it, and I ended up going to more before I made my final decision. I emailed the soccer coach to let him know that I wouldn’t be going out for soccer because I really wanted to see how I would fare in Cross Country. (Basically Courtney Smith's experience summer before sophomore year she told me). Between summer Lacrosse camps, Lacrosse Tournaments, and family vacations, I went to a total of about 6 summer practices and a few Saturday distance runs followed by cross training. To be honest, I had no clue what really went into Cross Country before I joined. The girls did such a great job taking me in to their group and showing me the ropes. I learned about scoring, the different kinds of meets, and the cross country isn’t just an activity- it’s a sport and a lifestyle!
Season Highlight: Every second was a highlight this season. I am so fortunate to have made the decision to go out for Cross Country earlier this year! This is the best group of girls and best experience I’ve ever been a part of! Some of the best races were Cherokee because that was a race I finished with nothing left, McQuaid because we were at the top of our game as a team- and on top of the country, and States because it’s not everyday you win a State Championship while repeating school history and matching the dream team (Unionville 2004). Our best bus ride was definitely the one coming home from McQuaid because of how eventful it was. We hit a deer (which was bad), we scrubbed the night away at an old carwash, and our target turnpike was closed (which was bad). It was nine hours total and filled with laughs. Basically anything Gretchen Mills did this season was hilarious and she needs to get her own TV show. One of my personal highlights this season was when I thought we were headed to a dual meet with FM at McQuaid. It just goes to show how clueless I was about Cross Country until halfway through the season.
Team Goals: Going forward after this season, my goal is to stay in shape and keep running until next Cross Country season. I won't be participating in winter or spring track due to the fact that I play Basketball and Lacrosse. The rest of the girls will be building up for next season as well but with more intensity. We will be returning everyone except for Courtney Smith and Emily Fisher who were instrumental this season and will be dearly missed. Our team goal I would imagine is to try for another State Championship and qualify for NXN in the postseason.
Shout-Outs:
There were so many people this season that supported us that deserve a thank you! Shout-out to the Pennsbury girls for being great competitors this season and for being great companions at nationals. Shout-outs go to the FM girls for being our constant motivation all season long and for pushing us every step of the way. Thank you to Dr. Sanville (Our Superintendent), Mrs. Massanari (Our Principal), Mr. Derrickson (Our Athletic Director), and Mr. Iezzi (Our Trainer) for their support from the administrative and athletic departments. Thank you to Coach Hess, Coach Stanczyk, and Coach Smith, for their endless support, long hours at practice and in the gym to chaperone our cross training time, and their special appearances at some of our farther out races. Thank you to Don Rich of Milesplit for following the team to meets as far out as Oregon and for his endless support. Thank you to Coach Scott and his wife for flying all the way out to Oregon to support our team. Shout out to the guys who mow our practice course and to those who helped us get hay bales for NXN practice. Thank you to all of the parents and relatives for making as many meets as possible and for their support all season long. Thank you to my teammates for your unprecedented hard work, dedication, love of the sport Cross Country, and for helping me to learn to love it too! A huge shout- out goes to Coach Lac, for his hard work, knowledge of the sport, encouragement, honesty, and for his genius in putting together race plans! I don’t know where we would be without him! A special shout-out to Mrs. Christopher, Mrs. Young, and Mrs. Welsh for their encouragement early on to go out for running and for their support in my decision to switch from Soccer- sorry it took me so long! Thank you also to my sister and parents for adjusting to this new sport with me and coming to early races in all weather. And thank you to God, because without Him, nothing is possible!