|
Rod battles into the uphill finish
|
Bradley battling in to the finish
|
Sergio selects his award!
24 October 2013
Conference 2013
Varsity Race
It started out as a sunny yet slightly chilly day at Camp Henry Horner, the host for our Conference Meet and Grant's home course. By the end of the day the skies opened up and dumped rain on the awards ceremonies, but in between our ZeeBee men ran several fantastic races on a challenging course.
We had the benefit of training on this very course the previous weekend and the confidence gave our runners an edge, particularly in the final 400m in their kicks. The Varsity ran first, led again by Andrew who held on the top echelon pack to finish at 15th place overall (16:38). Angel and Isaac came in at #26 (16:58) and #29 (17:00) respectively, like Andrew earning All-Conference honors bestowed upon the top 30 runners. Well done men! Our Varsity finishes were rounded off by Lucas as our 4th (17:19) with a gutsy kick around a Libertyville runner right into the chute; Dakota finished literally a second behind him but the near-tie went to Rush from Libertyville. Desmond, continuing to run through his arch pain, finished as our #6 (17:55) and Kenneth anchored our #7 position (17:58) and retained his position on Varsity as we move into Regionals on 10/26. Varsity finished at #7 of 13 teams, averaging 17:03 for our top 5. This tops last year's 17:10 average and ties our 7th place finish from last year. Well done Varsity!
Our JV ran next as temperatures slowly dropped and the winds picked up. Daniel led with strength to finish in 19th place (18:13), running through persistent shin pain to lead our pack in this race. Jaime continued his trend of improvement to finish at 40th (18:58), with A2 running in as our third man (19:52). Zack ran one of the best races of his season, kicking hard and challenging himself to earn a 20:43 finish! Raijin followed not far behind (21:42), with Eduard running hard to earn the team's only PR! Eduard finished a full 30 seconds over his previous best set at the Warren Tri (no small feat, as these courses are nothing alike)--nice work Eduard! Our ZB JV finished at #7 out of 11 teams (198 runners total)--achieving the highest recorded ZB JV Conference ranking and beating last year's 8th place! Well done!
The final race of the day was for our Frosh-Soph runners in dark skies and strong, cold winds. The rapidly degrading weather conditions did not deter the collective excitement as our runners took the line. Sergio ran hard and kicked well in the final quarter mile to earn a 31st place finish (18:46) and narrowly beat a Lincolnshire runner by a fraction of a second into the chute. Mikey continued his strong running performances with a 20:29 finish, with Warren not far behind (20:53), fighting for position in a large pack all the way into the chute. K-Man, Bradley, and Rod packed it up well on the course, both running and finishing in close formation (21:18, 21:25, and 21:25 respectively). Ziqiao and Marek rounded off our F-S team (22:08 and 23:06) with equally strong races on the challenging course.
Daniel Olvera was honored with our team's Sportsmanship Award during the awards ceremony! Daniel's selfless devotion of his time, talents, and energies has helped drive our team at all levels this year; he truly embodies what it means to be a successful and team runner. Congratulations Daniel!
Andrew, Angel, and Isaac received All-Conference honors, and our Varsity team is preparing to battle 8 other teams at Regionals this upcoming Saturday. This was a challenging Conference meet, but we collectively charted improvement over last year and continued our strong season. I am proud of what the team achieved. We must keep the focus and physical toughness to carry forward successful and continue our season.
We had the benefit of training on this very course the previous weekend and the confidence gave our runners an edge, particularly in the final 400m in their kicks. The Varsity ran first, led again by Andrew who held on the top echelon pack to finish at 15th place overall (16:38). Angel and Isaac came in at #26 (16:58) and #29 (17:00) respectively, like Andrew earning All-Conference honors bestowed upon the top 30 runners. Well done men! Our Varsity finishes were rounded off by Lucas as our 4th (17:19) with a gutsy kick around a Libertyville runner right into the chute; Dakota finished literally a second behind him but the near-tie went to Rush from Libertyville. Desmond, continuing to run through his arch pain, finished as our #6 (17:55) and Kenneth anchored our #7 position (17:58) and retained his position on Varsity as we move into Regionals on 10/26. Varsity finished at #7 of 13 teams, averaging 17:03 for our top 5. This tops last year's 17:10 average and ties our 7th place finish from last year. Well done Varsity!
Our JV ran next as temperatures slowly dropped and the winds picked up. Daniel led with strength to finish in 19th place (18:13), running through persistent shin pain to lead our pack in this race. Jaime continued his trend of improvement to finish at 40th (18:58), with A2 running in as our third man (19:52). Zack ran one of the best races of his season, kicking hard and challenging himself to earn a 20:43 finish! Raijin followed not far behind (21:42), with Eduard running hard to earn the team's only PR! Eduard finished a full 30 seconds over his previous best set at the Warren Tri (no small feat, as these courses are nothing alike)--nice work Eduard! Our ZB JV finished at #7 out of 11 teams (198 runners total)--achieving the highest recorded ZB JV Conference ranking and beating last year's 8th place! Well done!
The final race of the day was for our Frosh-Soph runners in dark skies and strong, cold winds. The rapidly degrading weather conditions did not deter the collective excitement as our runners took the line. Sergio ran hard and kicked well in the final quarter mile to earn a 31st place finish (18:46) and narrowly beat a Lincolnshire runner by a fraction of a second into the chute. Mikey continued his strong running performances with a 20:29 finish, with Warren not far behind (20:53), fighting for position in a large pack all the way into the chute. K-Man, Bradley, and Rod packed it up well on the course, both running and finishing in close formation (21:18, 21:25, and 21:25 respectively). Ziqiao and Marek rounded off our F-S team (22:08 and 23:06) with equally strong races on the challenging course.
Daniel Olvera was honored with our team's Sportsmanship Award during the awards ceremony! Daniel's selfless devotion of his time, talents, and energies has helped drive our team at all levels this year; he truly embodies what it means to be a successful and team runner. Congratulations Daniel!
Andrew, Angel, and Isaac received All-Conference honors, and our Varsity team is preparing to battle 8 other teams at Regionals this upcoming Saturday. This was a challenging Conference meet, but we collectively charted improvement over last year and continued our strong season. I am proud of what the team achieved. We must keep the focus and physical toughness to carry forward successful and continue our season.
Frosh-Soph Runners
JV Pack
All-Conference athletes! Andrew is top row, left. Isaac is bottom row 2nd from left and Angel is 5th from left, same row.
18 October 2013
Wheeling Invite 10/12
Wheeling proved to be a challenging meet. While the weather was about ten degrees warmer than last year with minimal wind, the ground at the Allstate campus was well-saturated from the week's rain. I opted to run our Frosh-Soph boys in the Open race, since the F-S race was 2.5 and I wanted our runners to have the chance at a competitive 3.0 race and PR opportunity. Thus, the Varsity ran first.
The Varsity averaged 17:10, about a minute off from our normal performance. Andrew led our pack with a 17th place finish (16:23), followed by Dakota in 36th (16:52). Lucas came in at just over 17 minutes, followed by Angel, Desmond, Isaac, and Kenneth. Varsity placed 10th out of a field of 20 teams. There were no teams that ran under 16-minute averages. Libertyville ran 16:50 and Lake Zurich ran 16:36. All teams consistently run better, faster races than on the course at Wheeling.
We had a large group in the Open race. By this time the sun had disappeared and the weather turned dark--conditions that excited the boys as the clouds threatened rain. Daniel led our pack with an 18th place finish on a field of 323 runners! Sergio also earned a medal with a 27th place finish! Jaime came in as our third man, followed by Jaalen, Kevin, Shemayah, Warren, A2, Mikey, K-Man, Duarte, Rod, Zack, Ziqiao, Bradley, Ryan, Raijin, and Eduard. The boys ran well considering the conditions, placing 8th out of a field of 15 teams. There were some very nice kicks in this race, especially in the final 200m.
This race is behind us, with lessons learned from the experience. We kicked well but will need to work on advancing on the other packs and use each one as a foothold to move forward. All teams on the field have been improving at a rate similar to us, but we will need to stay hungry in order to realize the greatness within us. Conference awaits--while it may be the last race of the season for some of us, the right mindset will make it our most competitive and memorable yet.
Go Bees!
The Varsity averaged 17:10, about a minute off from our normal performance. Andrew led our pack with a 17th place finish (16:23), followed by Dakota in 36th (16:52). Lucas came in at just over 17 minutes, followed by Angel, Desmond, Isaac, and Kenneth. Varsity placed 10th out of a field of 20 teams. There were no teams that ran under 16-minute averages. Libertyville ran 16:50 and Lake Zurich ran 16:36. All teams consistently run better, faster races than on the course at Wheeling.
We had a large group in the Open race. By this time the sun had disappeared and the weather turned dark--conditions that excited the boys as the clouds threatened rain. Daniel led our pack with an 18th place finish on a field of 323 runners! Sergio also earned a medal with a 27th place finish! Jaime came in as our third man, followed by Jaalen, Kevin, Shemayah, Warren, A2, Mikey, K-Man, Duarte, Rod, Zack, Ziqiao, Bradley, Ryan, Raijin, and Eduard. The boys ran well considering the conditions, placing 8th out of a field of 15 teams. There were some very nice kicks in this race, especially in the final 200m.
This race is behind us, with lessons learned from the experience. We kicked well but will need to work on advancing on the other packs and use each one as a foothold to move forward. All teams on the field have been improving at a rate similar to us, but we will need to stay hungry in order to realize the greatness within us. Conference awaits--while it may be the last race of the season for some of us, the right mindset will make it our most competitive and memorable yet.
Go Bees!
10 October 2013
Warren Tri w/ Mundelein 10/7
Monday saw the final tri meet of the season against Warren and Mundelein. We returned to the O’Plaine campus where we had a fantastic Invite back on 9/21. The weather was fair and the team excited to return to the flat course. We fielded twenty-four runners. The seniors were especially excited with their last tri meet of their careers and anxious to give it their best.
The pre-race facts were balanced: 1.) We collectively ran our best times at Warren, including a solid 3rd place finish in the Blue Devil Invite, 2.) Warren had a faster top 5 than us (running 15:45 avg. at Blue Devil to our 16:02), 3.) we thrive in competitive races, and 4.) Mundelein’s top 5 avg. was 16:57 at Blue Devil. Our sights were set on breaking into Warren’s pack on their home course—an ambitious feat of running but nonetheless at attainable goal with the right mindset!
The gun went off.
The pre-race facts were balanced: 1.) We collectively ran our best times at Warren, including a solid 3rd place finish in the Blue Devil Invite, 2.) Warren had a faster top 5 than us (running 15:45 avg. at Blue Devil to our 16:02), 3.) we thrive in competitive races, and 4.) Mundelein’s top 5 avg. was 16:57 at Blue Devil. Our sights were set on breaking into Warren’s pack on their home course—an ambitious feat of running but nonetheless at attainable goal with the right mindset!
The gun went off.
It immediately became apparent that, like our experience with Lake Zurich, we had less numbers and each of our runners had a small pack of competitors surrounding them. Our Varsity got out in a pack that looked good at the 800m but slowly strung out in a battle against Warren’s top guys. Andrew established a narrow lead and fought off numerous hard advances by Macuiba and Shurson from Warren. Isaac, Lucas, and Desmond fought to displace positions in Warren’s top seven pack but could not pull any of the pressure off of Andrew. Dakota, Angel, and Kenneth rounded off our top seven with gutsy races as well in the three loops around Warren’s course. Our collective energy seemed expended after the first mile, but our third mile picked up well.
Andrew’s epic kick narrowly beat Macuiba in the final steps, finishing 15:27—just one second ahead of the Warren competitor and only one second off of his lifetime PR set at Warren earlier this season! Warren succeeded in clinching 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 with Isaac firing up again for a 16:04 finish, followed closely by Lucas at 16:08 (an 8-second PR!). Desmond, on his perpetually-aching foot, ran an awesome race to kick in as our fourth man at 16:20—a staggering 22-second PR! Dakota (16:29), Angel (16:47), and Kenneth (16:51) took 16, 22, and 23. Kenneth ran sub-17 for the first time in his career!
Andrew’s epic kick narrowly beat Macuiba in the final steps, finishing 15:27—just one second ahead of the Warren competitor and only one second off of his lifetime PR set at Warren earlier this season! Warren succeeded in clinching 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 with Isaac firing up again for a 16:04 finish, followed closely by Lucas at 16:08 (an 8-second PR!). Desmond, on his perpetually-aching foot, ran an awesome race to kick in as our fourth man at 16:20—a staggering 22-second PR! Dakota (16:29), Angel (16:47), and Kenneth (16:51) took 16, 22, and 23. Kenneth ran sub-17 for the first time in his career!
The middle of our pack performed admirably in this race. With plenty of Mundelein and Warren jerseys to reel in, there was no shortage of competition. Sergio came in first for our freshmen (17:27), followed by Daniel (18:07), and Jaime with a 10-second PR! Shemayah also ran for a PR, and then we had several packs working together all the way into the chute. K-Man, who started the season at 24:36, ran his first sub-20 race with a 54-second PR (19:17)!!! Mikey rolled in beside him for a 7-second career best (19:19) with David hot on his heels (tying his PR). Kevin “Colgate,” Bradley, Warren, Ziqiao, Ryan, and Zack followed in good order, followed a handsome pair of PRs by Raijin (20:58) and Edward (22:27)! Marek anchored our crew with a great kick as well. Great job guys!
We charted eleven PRs but simply could not put enough guys ahead of Warren’s runners to bring home a victory. We did, however, beat Mundelein. We averaged 16:05 to Warren’s 15:41 and Mundelein’s 16:33 top five. Our hard work on final 400m kicks shows, and putting so many PRs on the board this late in the season shows that our men are still improving and have not yet reached their peak performances. Our Varsity pack has shuffled in this race and we need to work on cohesion and consistency. For some this was a fantastic race but we will need a renewed focus and more sub-16 races if we are to run competitively with the increasing competition of Conference, Regionals, and beyond. Our attitudes and fitness are in the right place, however, mental toughness and discipline will ultimately carry these races. I cannot wait to see what this entire team achieves together as we advance to our last invite at Wheeling on Saturday!
Special thanks to Devon and Nate for their help with timing and logistics! Thank you also to our parents and supporters who came out to cheer us on!
We charted eleven PRs but simply could not put enough guys ahead of Warren’s runners to bring home a victory. We did, however, beat Mundelein. We averaged 16:05 to Warren’s 15:41 and Mundelein’s 16:33 top five. Our hard work on final 400m kicks shows, and putting so many PRs on the board this late in the season shows that our men are still improving and have not yet reached their peak performances. Our Varsity pack has shuffled in this race and we need to work on cohesion and consistency. For some this was a fantastic race but we will need a renewed focus and more sub-16 races if we are to run competitively with the increasing competition of Conference, Regionals, and beyond. Our attitudes and fitness are in the right place, however, mental toughness and discipline will ultimately carry these races. I cannot wait to see what this entire team achieves together as we advance to our last invite at Wheeling on Saturday!
Special thanks to Devon and Nate for their help with timing and logistics! Thank you also to our parents and supporters who came out to cheer us on!
|
|
4 October 2013
Home Dual v. Lake Zurich 9/30
Coming off a challenging Invite on Saturday, the Bees faced off Monday in a dual meet at home against Lake Zurich. This was one the team looked forward to with a mixture of excitement and apprehension—not only was this our final home meet but we were facing one of the toughest opponents of our season. We looked optimistically at the statistics: ZB ran just twelve seconds off of LZ’s top 5 average at Palatine (16:32 v. 16:20); we had previously charted averages of 16:02 at Warren and 16:09 at Peoria (we could run faster times than Palatine); and we had the hunger and home field advantage for this opportunity. Lake Zurich has not lost a dual meet in five years. We thrive as the underdog, and we are steadily improving.
Our mental toughness peaked as we took the field Monday night. Our energy was high. Lake Zurich was an hour late. I asked the men to run with LZ—get out hard on Mile 1, advance hard on Mile 2 in the back woods, and kick hard on Mile 3. We had the mindset of bouncing back from Palatine and competing hard at our final home meet.
We got out in excellent positions. The Varsity pack took the lead in the first 200m and held it for the first 1200m as LZ maintained their dense groups in a cautious yet persistent start. Our middle runners looked particularly good well into the woods, where the packs spread thinner and there seemed to be 3 white jerseys surrounding every ZB runner--a challenging ratio. Andrew maintained his lead against the aggressive moves of LZ’s top 3. Isaac looked better than ever as our second man, with Dakota and Lucas interspersed between LZ packs and Desmond, Kenneth, and Angel holding together as our 5, 6, and 7. Sergio and Jaalen led the younger guys, all of which showed a determination and focus our team had collectively not seen this season.
Perhaps most impressive were the final 400m kicks to the finish. Andrew out-kicked his three foes for a first-place finish AND NEW COURSE RECORD of 15:31! Isaac gave an equally impressive effort to shake off his two opponents and finish in 5th place with a sub-16 finish only two seconds off his PR! Kenneth ran a big race to finish as our 6th man and with a huge PR (17:01)! K-Man continued his great career PR streak, as did Mikey, Jaalen, Ziqiao, and Rod. Edward dropped nearly two whole minutes for another outstanding accomplishment! Each ZB runner battled two or three LZs into the chute. While some of these very personal duels were won and others lost, we gave an impressive effort that left everything we had on the field. We placed 1, 5, 10, 14, and 16 against Lake Zurich’s 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 top five. Simply put: while we ran a fantastic race, but LZ’s team was too deep to overcome in this competition.
We ran a hard race against LZ and walked away accomplished in our outstanding effort. EVERY ZEEBEE RUNNER RAN A COURSE PR! That is, every man who ran on Monday beat their course time from 9/9! This is a remarkable achievement that speaks to the team’s complete commitment to running their best race. While Lake Zurich will maintain their unblemished record, we have again established that opponents will have to work hard to overcome the ZeeBees. We have shown continual improvement as a Cross Country program. And most importantly, we are showing that hard work, over time, can beat talent. We shall continue to train—solidifying our own packs, breaking into the packs of other teams, and running better races each week. And on a concluding note, we have shaken up our Top 10 course standings for Shiloh!
Our mental toughness peaked as we took the field Monday night. Our energy was high. Lake Zurich was an hour late. I asked the men to run with LZ—get out hard on Mile 1, advance hard on Mile 2 in the back woods, and kick hard on Mile 3. We had the mindset of bouncing back from Palatine and competing hard at our final home meet.
We got out in excellent positions. The Varsity pack took the lead in the first 200m and held it for the first 1200m as LZ maintained their dense groups in a cautious yet persistent start. Our middle runners looked particularly good well into the woods, where the packs spread thinner and there seemed to be 3 white jerseys surrounding every ZB runner--a challenging ratio. Andrew maintained his lead against the aggressive moves of LZ’s top 3. Isaac looked better than ever as our second man, with Dakota and Lucas interspersed between LZ packs and Desmond, Kenneth, and Angel holding together as our 5, 6, and 7. Sergio and Jaalen led the younger guys, all of which showed a determination and focus our team had collectively not seen this season.
Perhaps most impressive were the final 400m kicks to the finish. Andrew out-kicked his three foes for a first-place finish AND NEW COURSE RECORD of 15:31! Isaac gave an equally impressive effort to shake off his two opponents and finish in 5th place with a sub-16 finish only two seconds off his PR! Kenneth ran a big race to finish as our 6th man and with a huge PR (17:01)! K-Man continued his great career PR streak, as did Mikey, Jaalen, Ziqiao, and Rod. Edward dropped nearly two whole minutes for another outstanding accomplishment! Each ZB runner battled two or three LZs into the chute. While some of these very personal duels were won and others lost, we gave an impressive effort that left everything we had on the field. We placed 1, 5, 10, 14, and 16 against Lake Zurich’s 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 top five. Simply put: while we ran a fantastic race, but LZ’s team was too deep to overcome in this competition.
We ran a hard race against LZ and walked away accomplished in our outstanding effort. EVERY ZEEBEE RUNNER RAN A COURSE PR! That is, every man who ran on Monday beat their course time from 9/9! This is a remarkable achievement that speaks to the team’s complete commitment to running their best race. While Lake Zurich will maintain their unblemished record, we have again established that opponents will have to work hard to overcome the ZeeBees. We have shown continual improvement as a Cross Country program. And most importantly, we are showing that hard work, over time, can beat talent. We shall continue to train—solidifying our own packs, breaking into the packs of other teams, and running better races each week. And on a concluding note, we have shaken up our Top 10 course standings for Shiloh!
29 September 2013
Palatine Invite 9/28
Yesterday we ran at the prestigious Palatine Invite, held at Deer Grove East Forest Preserve. While a heavy dew made the grass wet for the walk-through, it burned off by race time and settled at a nice mid-70s temperature with brilliant sunlight and negligible wind. In short, it was a great day to race!
Like Peoria, Palatine hosts schools that regularly rank among the top echelon of state competition. There were thirty schools present—our boys team, along with Coach Shorey, made the trip while our ladies ran at Bartlett. The build-up to this race reinforced the importance of successful racing and proving that Zion Benton is emerging as one of these top teams. Coach McPherson generously shared some words of wisdom via a letter to our runners and we worked to mentally prepare for this crucial weekend: Palatine, and one day later a dual meet against Lake Zurich at home. The nerves were high yet my only expectations were that our runners ran the best race they could possibly run that day. With an uphill start and turn in the first 200m it was important to get out in good position from our Box #3, while a long sloping downhill finish invited an aggressive 400m kick.
Our Freshmen ran first in a 2.5-mile race. They got our hard in a field of 241 runners. Nate suffered a calf strain that crippled his stride, but gamely fought to the finish! Sergio led our team, finishing strong at 26th overall (14:19) and missing a medal by one place. Jaalen took 81st at 15:27, followed by solid races by Mikey (16:27), Rod (16:50), and Nate (18:22). While we cannot accurately measure this race against our 3.0 mile records this season, I am very proud of their hard work in the day’s opening race and our boys’ 13th place finish (16:16 average) out of 19 teams. It was also Nate’s birthday (!!!) and we hope he will recover in time for Monday. Our Freshmen are emerging this season as a force to be reckoned with.
The Sophomores ran next, their course being the 3.0 mile one that would be the standard for the remainder of the day. Kevin “Colgate” led our pack to the finish with a time of 19:23, followed closely by Warren (19:34), Ziqiao (20:35), and K-Man (20:37). Kenneth ran a very impressive 1:57 PR on this course, beating his best set in the first home meet of the season. Well done Kenneth!
The Varsity ran next, wearing their distinctive yellow uniforms for the first time this season! The spectators seemed to judge this race to be the high point of the day, and both energy and expectations were high among the crowds. Our boys run well in fast competition, using the momentum to lengthen strides and the sheer numbers to edge upward for better positions. The field ran, collectively, slower than anticipated, and this course’s geography dictated that it would be a slower field than our last invite at Warren. The competition was deep, with nine teams averaging sub 16 minutes for their top five. Andrew again led our pack with a 40th place finish (15:47), followed by Dakota (17:17), Isaac (16:49), Lucas (16:52), Desmond (16:54), Angel (17:30), and Kenneth (18:06). Our team finished at #22 of 30 teams, averaging 16:32 for our top five.
The JV/Open race held the anchor position as the last race of the day, and we fielded our largest group here. The boys got out hard in a field of 345 racers, with A2 and Jaime alternately leading our pack. Jaime would ultimately be our first ZB finisher (19:36), followed a second later by A2 (19:37). Shemayah and David rolled in at 20:10 and 20:33 respectively, followed by Ryan (20:40), Zack (21:15), Paris (21:53), Raijin (22:31), and Edward (24:12). It was a tough competition and our men averaged 20:07.
Overall the field appeared to collectively not run spectacular races, but the competition was deep and I am glad our men had the opportunity to race in such competitive conditions. They had enjoyed tales of Palatine and its program over the past years from Coach McPherson and were enthusiastic to be there. We had reasonable kicks in the final 400m but overall will need to run with the competition in order to place higher. And while K-Man set our only PR that day, I feel that we will need to save some energy for the Monday dual against Lake Zurich. Our top 5 Varsity times are only 12 seconds apart (LZ came in 15th), and while they are a much larger team we have the potential to break into their packs and dictate the conditions at our home course. Palatine was an invaluable learning and growing experience for all of us, from which we must draw hunger for running with fast competition and making every place count.
Like Peoria, Palatine hosts schools that regularly rank among the top echelon of state competition. There were thirty schools present—our boys team, along with Coach Shorey, made the trip while our ladies ran at Bartlett. The build-up to this race reinforced the importance of successful racing and proving that Zion Benton is emerging as one of these top teams. Coach McPherson generously shared some words of wisdom via a letter to our runners and we worked to mentally prepare for this crucial weekend: Palatine, and one day later a dual meet against Lake Zurich at home. The nerves were high yet my only expectations were that our runners ran the best race they could possibly run that day. With an uphill start and turn in the first 200m it was important to get out in good position from our Box #3, while a long sloping downhill finish invited an aggressive 400m kick.
Our Freshmen ran first in a 2.5-mile race. They got our hard in a field of 241 runners. Nate suffered a calf strain that crippled his stride, but gamely fought to the finish! Sergio led our team, finishing strong at 26th overall (14:19) and missing a medal by one place. Jaalen took 81st at 15:27, followed by solid races by Mikey (16:27), Rod (16:50), and Nate (18:22). While we cannot accurately measure this race against our 3.0 mile records this season, I am very proud of their hard work in the day’s opening race and our boys’ 13th place finish (16:16 average) out of 19 teams. It was also Nate’s birthday (!!!) and we hope he will recover in time for Monday. Our Freshmen are emerging this season as a force to be reckoned with.
The Sophomores ran next, their course being the 3.0 mile one that would be the standard for the remainder of the day. Kevin “Colgate” led our pack to the finish with a time of 19:23, followed closely by Warren (19:34), Ziqiao (20:35), and K-Man (20:37). Kenneth ran a very impressive 1:57 PR on this course, beating his best set in the first home meet of the season. Well done Kenneth!
The Varsity ran next, wearing their distinctive yellow uniforms for the first time this season! The spectators seemed to judge this race to be the high point of the day, and both energy and expectations were high among the crowds. Our boys run well in fast competition, using the momentum to lengthen strides and the sheer numbers to edge upward for better positions. The field ran, collectively, slower than anticipated, and this course’s geography dictated that it would be a slower field than our last invite at Warren. The competition was deep, with nine teams averaging sub 16 minutes for their top five. Andrew again led our pack with a 40th place finish (15:47), followed by Dakota (17:17), Isaac (16:49), Lucas (16:52), Desmond (16:54), Angel (17:30), and Kenneth (18:06). Our team finished at #22 of 30 teams, averaging 16:32 for our top five.
The JV/Open race held the anchor position as the last race of the day, and we fielded our largest group here. The boys got out hard in a field of 345 racers, with A2 and Jaime alternately leading our pack. Jaime would ultimately be our first ZB finisher (19:36), followed a second later by A2 (19:37). Shemayah and David rolled in at 20:10 and 20:33 respectively, followed by Ryan (20:40), Zack (21:15), Paris (21:53), Raijin (22:31), and Edward (24:12). It was a tough competition and our men averaged 20:07.
Overall the field appeared to collectively not run spectacular races, but the competition was deep and I am glad our men had the opportunity to race in such competitive conditions. They had enjoyed tales of Palatine and its program over the past years from Coach McPherson and were enthusiastic to be there. We had reasonable kicks in the final 400m but overall will need to run with the competition in order to place higher. And while K-Man set our only PR that day, I feel that we will need to save some energy for the Monday dual against Lake Zurich. Our top 5 Varsity times are only 12 seconds apart (LZ came in 15th), and while they are a much larger team we have the potential to break into their packs and dictate the conditions at our home course. Palatine was an invaluable learning and growing experience for all of us, from which we must draw hunger for running with fast competition and making every place count.
21 September 2013
Blue Devil Invite 9/21
We have once again emerged from a fantastic weekend race with much to celebrate! Today the men’s and women’s teams competed at the Blue Devil Invite, hosted by Warren, in nearby Gurnee. After a week of excellent practices, I feel team regained its dented confidence from Monday’s Libertyville Tri to emerge mentally and physically prepared for this race. This preparedness translated into confidence and fast times today!
Our Frosh-Soph men were the second race of the day on the flat O’Plaine campus course. The grass was long and wet, the ground soggy from a few days of rain this week—the referee and host predicted slower times with the damp course. The F-S team ran a fast race around the three loops, emerging #13 out of 20 teams competing and averaging a fantastic 18:29! Sergio led our pack and earned a medal for 35th place (and PR) out of a field of 267. Jaalen followed as our #2 man at 18:23, followed by Warren (19:08), Mikey (19:38), and Ziqiao (20:09). Our remaining guys looked great too! This was an excellent, competitive learning experience for our young guys.
Similarly, our JV race saw a gutsy effort as our older men charted achievements in the last race of the day. Kenneth “Smiles” led the pack with a strong 17:19 and earned a ribbon for 9th place! Well done Kenneth! Dylan came in next (18:56), with Jaime (19:07), David (19:22), and Shemayah (19:33) not far behind. The rest of the team charted many PRs as well, battling a field of 112 runners from ten schools. ZB JV took 6th place with an average time of 18:51.
Our Frosh-Soph men were the second race of the day on the flat O’Plaine campus course. The grass was long and wet, the ground soggy from a few days of rain this week—the referee and host predicted slower times with the damp course. The F-S team ran a fast race around the three loops, emerging #13 out of 20 teams competing and averaging a fantastic 18:29! Sergio led our pack and earned a medal for 35th place (and PR) out of a field of 267. Jaalen followed as our #2 man at 18:23, followed by Warren (19:08), Mikey (19:38), and Ziqiao (20:09). Our remaining guys looked great too! This was an excellent, competitive learning experience for our young guys.
Similarly, our JV race saw a gutsy effort as our older men charted achievements in the last race of the day. Kenneth “Smiles” led the pack with a strong 17:19 and earned a ribbon for 9th place! Well done Kenneth! Dylan came in next (18:56), with Jaime (19:07), David (19:22), and Shemayah (19:33) not far behind. The rest of the team charted many PRs as well, battling a field of 112 runners from ten schools. ZB JV took 6th place with an average time of 18:51.
|
|
Our Varsity race is another page in the book of ZBXC history. Our top seven runners brought the same energy and zeal as the rest of the team, running well in a fast field of competitors. Daniel repeated his 2012 Warren tradition of leading for the first half mile before handing the reigns to Andrew, who had to battle for the second-place spot for the remainder of the race. Andrew held onto this position for a 2nd place finish, BREAKING HIS RECORD AS THE FASTEST DOCUMENTED RUNNER IN ZBXC HISTORY by 3 seconds! Way to go Andrew! Isaac raced in excellent form to finish as our 2nd man (18th place, 15:54), followed by Dakota (32nd, 16:11), Lucas (35th, 16:16), Angel (41st, 16:22), Desmond (17:05), and Daniel (17:11). Our Varsity averaged 16:02 for the top 5, beating our 16:09 time set at Peoria last Saturday! Andrew brought home a trophy, with Dakota, Isaac, Lucas, and Angel earning medals in this race.
The Varsity took third place out of a field of nineteen teams. They brought home our first team trophy of the year—and the first in recent memory of our school’s XC program. The team’s overwhelming pride in their accomplishment was evident as they took to the field to collect their hardware. It was hard-earned and the product of the toughness, focus, and training they bring to our practices and competition. Excellent work gentlemen!
|
|
We have regained our momentum and achieved a wonderful day in ZBXC history. We charted no less than 20 Career PRs, numerous Season Best times, and brought home six medals, one individual trophy, and a team trophy. The smiles and sense of accomplishment was infectious on the short ride home--in short, I am incredibly proud of this team. We move on to a full week of recovery and training for the challenging and prestigious Palatine Invite this next Saturday with our sights set high!
Warren PRs:
17 September 2013
Libertyville 9/16
When there is a high there often follows a low point as a team exhales and unwinds from the energy of success. Monday's Tri meet with Libertyville and Grant was one of those days. The course at Adler Park presented a challenge we had not yet encountered in our season's racing: hills. We also experienced two other significant setbacks: we were short four runners to sickness/injuries and six who forgot their equipment on race day. Still, we took to the line 21-strong.
Our competing runners gave a gutsy performance, but frankly we were out-kicked on the hills and particularly on the final uphill to the finish. Andrew battled into a second-place finish with Dakota, Desmond, and Isaac battling in as our third, fourth, and fifth men (placing 5th, tenth, and eleventh respectively). Our times were 30-60 seconds slower on average than this last weekend, but we were able to edge a win over Grant by point and took a loss to Libertyville. We were not able to bring our full performance this race, underscoring the value of working as a team that relies on the contributions and strength of ALL individuals.
We discussed this setback in context with our season and decided that we must evolve into a stronger team from it. We have four solid days to regroup and get right again before we compete at the Blue Devil Invite at Warren on Saturday. I am confident that, especially if we can kick the sickness, we can return in greater strength and regain momentum this coming weekend!
Our competing runners gave a gutsy performance, but frankly we were out-kicked on the hills and particularly on the final uphill to the finish. Andrew battled into a second-place finish with Dakota, Desmond, and Isaac battling in as our third, fourth, and fifth men (placing 5th, tenth, and eleventh respectively). Our times were 30-60 seconds slower on average than this last weekend, but we were able to edge a win over Grant by point and took a loss to Libertyville. We were not able to bring our full performance this race, underscoring the value of working as a team that relies on the contributions and strength of ALL individuals.
We discussed this setback in context with our season and decided that we must evolve into a stronger team from it. We have four solid days to regroup and get right again before we compete at the Blue Devil Invite at Warren on Saturday. I am confident that, especially if we can kick the sickness, we can return in greater strength and regain momentum this coming weekend!
17 September 2013
Wauconda 9/14
While I was not there to celebrate with them, the Frosh-Soph and JV ZBXC runners gave a remarkable showing at the Wauconda Invite! Text messages of PRs and success reached us early in the morning in Peoria, speaking to the strength and dedication of our younger runners as they surged to success on the relatively flat and wooded course. We totaled seven Career PRs and a matching seven Season Best times, with a majority of our runners earning either medals or ribbons for their races! Edward made his ZBXC debut on this course as well. Way to go guys!
It has truly been a wonderful weekend all-around! Our runners at both Wauconda and Peoria charted some amazing races and collectively achieved much for our team. We must channel this momentum into positive and smart racing as we take one day of rest and return for a Tri in Libertyville.
A special thank-you to the runners at Wauconda and all the selfless giving of your time and energies--I heard wonderful reviews of your willingness to help out and support your teammates. This is precisely what being a ZBXC runner is all about!
A special thank-you to the runners at Wauconda and all the selfless giving of your time and energies--I heard wonderful reviews of your willingness to help out and support your teammates. This is precisely what being a ZBXC runner is all about!
15 September 2013
Peoria 9/14
It was a great weekend for the ZBXC men in Peoria at the First to the Finish Invite! Running strong in the AAA and Open races, our twelve runners rose to the challenge of this very competitive race to collectively set some outstanding PR times.
With only two races under our belts, we had not yet seen the highest caliber of competition that traveled from all over the state of Illinois to Detweiller Park in Peoria. A flat 3.0 mile course located at the base of the bluffs near the Illinois River, Detweiller is also the location of the State Meet and a proving ground for teams gunning for this top competition. We drove to Peoria through painfully slow Chicago traffic before hitting open roads south of the city; we arrived at the course with an hour of daylight remaining. Our contingent ran the course and spent some time working on our starts and finishes—both are long, straight, gently-sloping affairs that test a runner’s endurance. One must have a good position when hitting the first turn (or risk being trapped on the inside lane) and be able to kick to the distant chute competitively against hundreds of like-minded competitors.
Fortified with a delicious Italian dinner and a good night’s rest, we made our way to the course Saturday morning under clear skies and temperatures hovering in the low 70s. The energy of the bustling meet was infectious as we discussed our strategies. Daniel’s Thought of the Day resonated with us: “Don’t accept good, when GREATNESS is at hand.” While reinforcing the crucial decisions we needed to make at the start and finish, my advice was two simple rules: Run Smart. Run Stupid. We needed to run intelligently and capitalize on our individual strengths in this competition, yet it was essential that we go all-out to destroy any barriers we perceive in ourselves. The fast field of competition is one that we must run with in order to be successful.
We had eight runners in the AAA Varsity race and four in the Open. With welcomed encouragement from Coach McPherson and feeding off of incoming reports of the team’s successes at the Wauconda Invite that morning, the men took to the line. We were placed in a box far to the right; this allowed us to not be trapped on the inside of the crucial first turn but meant we needed to fight to get inside the pack. Our runners did indeed fight for position and looked good at Mile 1. Dakota and Andrew went sub-5 with the remaining six all under 5:30. At Mile 2 we looked collectively more worn down but holding steady to mid-field positions. I was able to see our guys finish the race and chart their unofficial times; while we kicked, there were scores who passed us in the final 400m. We have our work cut out for us here.
With only two races under our belts, we had not yet seen the highest caliber of competition that traveled from all over the state of Illinois to Detweiller Park in Peoria. A flat 3.0 mile course located at the base of the bluffs near the Illinois River, Detweiller is also the location of the State Meet and a proving ground for teams gunning for this top competition. We drove to Peoria through painfully slow Chicago traffic before hitting open roads south of the city; we arrived at the course with an hour of daylight remaining. Our contingent ran the course and spent some time working on our starts and finishes—both are long, straight, gently-sloping affairs that test a runner’s endurance. One must have a good position when hitting the first turn (or risk being trapped on the inside lane) and be able to kick to the distant chute competitively against hundreds of like-minded competitors.
Fortified with a delicious Italian dinner and a good night’s rest, we made our way to the course Saturday morning under clear skies and temperatures hovering in the low 70s. The energy of the bustling meet was infectious as we discussed our strategies. Daniel’s Thought of the Day resonated with us: “Don’t accept good, when GREATNESS is at hand.” While reinforcing the crucial decisions we needed to make at the start and finish, my advice was two simple rules: Run Smart. Run Stupid. We needed to run intelligently and capitalize on our individual strengths in this competition, yet it was essential that we go all-out to destroy any barriers we perceive in ourselves. The fast field of competition is one that we must run with in order to be successful.
We had eight runners in the AAA Varsity race and four in the Open. With welcomed encouragement from Coach McPherson and feeding off of incoming reports of the team’s successes at the Wauconda Invite that morning, the men took to the line. We were placed in a box far to the right; this allowed us to not be trapped on the inside of the crucial first turn but meant we needed to fight to get inside the pack. Our runners did indeed fight for position and looked good at Mile 1. Dakota and Andrew went sub-5 with the remaining six all under 5:30. At Mile 2 we looked collectively more worn down but holding steady to mid-field positions. I was able to see our guys finish the race and chart their unofficial times; while we kicked, there were scores who passed us in the final 400m. We have our work cut out for us here.
AAA Boys off and running
Andrew finished 44th in the race (of 401 runners!) to earn a solid PR and a medal! With a time of 15:29 he established not only his lifetime best, but pushed past Philip Meyer’s 15:41 best set at Peoria in 2012 to have the fastest recorded 3-mile time documented in ZBXC history! Congratulations Andrew!
Our other runners all charted improvement as well! Dakota, who had just broken 17 minutes for the first time on Monday, charged in as our #2 man for a pinnacle 46-second PR and a time of 16:03! WOW! Isaac rolled in smartly as our #3 (16:12), and while this was not a lifetime PR, it is his season best to date as he chips away at his record set at Peoria last year. Lucas, who also just broke 17 at home on Monday, earned a solid 32-second PR with a time of 16:25, followed closely by Angel with an 18-second PR (16:35). Working with a foot injury, Desmond competed smartly and ran for a 16:42—a season best and 3-second PR from his best at LF/Stevenson set last year! Daniel (17:09) and Kenneth (17:38) rounded off our pack with outstanding lifetime PRs as well, 35 seconds and 60 seconds respectively! Way to go guys!
Our remaining four men ran in the gigantic open race and the last race of the day. I could tell there was some nervous anticipation as they prepared for the race, but once on the line they looked smart. Fighting against swarms of competitors (sometimes literally several dozen from each school), the men got out in mid-pack position and around the first turn in good order. Jaalen’s heel was trod at some point and when I saw him at Mile 2 he was short one shoe! I could tell the ZeeBees were giving 100% but looked uneasy with the fast pace—they gamely kept up and pushed their comfort zones all the way to the finish. The final 400 was, again, one of our greatest challenges as the field charged uphill into the chute. We ran well considering the caliber of competition and have established a new starting point for our future races.
Our other runners all charted improvement as well! Dakota, who had just broken 17 minutes for the first time on Monday, charged in as our #2 man for a pinnacle 46-second PR and a time of 16:03! WOW! Isaac rolled in smartly as our #3 (16:12), and while this was not a lifetime PR, it is his season best to date as he chips away at his record set at Peoria last year. Lucas, who also just broke 17 at home on Monday, earned a solid 32-second PR with a time of 16:25, followed closely by Angel with an 18-second PR (16:35). Working with a foot injury, Desmond competed smartly and ran for a 16:42—a season best and 3-second PR from his best at LF/Stevenson set last year! Daniel (17:09) and Kenneth (17:38) rounded off our pack with outstanding lifetime PRs as well, 35 seconds and 60 seconds respectively! Way to go guys!
Our remaining four men ran in the gigantic open race and the last race of the day. I could tell there was some nervous anticipation as they prepared for the race, but once on the line they looked smart. Fighting against swarms of competitors (sometimes literally several dozen from each school), the men got out in mid-pack position and around the first turn in good order. Jaalen’s heel was trod at some point and when I saw him at Mile 2 he was short one shoe! I could tell the ZeeBees were giving 100% but looked uneasy with the fast pace—they gamely kept up and pushed their comfort zones all the way to the finish. The final 400 was, again, one of our greatest challenges as the field charged uphill into the chute. We ran well considering the caliber of competition and have established a new starting point for our future races.
The Long Open Line
While official times are not yet posted for the Open race (this page will be updated when they are posted), our timers clocked some very impressive unofficial results! Sergio finished as our lead runner with an estimated time of 17:26, a full 93-second PR from his best on Monday! Angel “A2” charged in at 18:15, beating his PR set on Monday as well. To date Angel had not run sub-20—and he ran well under 19! Nate had a particularly impressive kick and a lot of forward mobility in this race, coming in around 19:14 and earning a 7-second PR. Jaalen, minus one shoe, still PR’d by 11 seconds with an unofficial time of 18:51! Well done gentlemen!
It was an historic day in ZBXC history and only made possible by the hard work, dedication, and heart shown by rising to the competition at Peoria. We placed 24th out of 45 teams, and while we narrowly missed besting our 23rd place finish of 2012, we charted our fastest “Top 5” average ever recorded with a time of 16:09! Way to go Bees! We continue the tradition of recording personal bests and overall team improvement at Peoria, growing not just as runners but as a team.
We still have much work to be done. We have tasted the competition and came away satisfied with the day, but must continue our hard work to evolve and progress with the season. We have proven to be progressive and must carry forward this great season’s momentum in order to earn a second trip to Peoria this year. This will not be an easy road. Peoria’s experience must be translated into the guts and packs we bring to practice and competitions EVERY DAY this season.
Today we rest. Tomorrow we RACE!
It was an historic day in ZBXC history and only made possible by the hard work, dedication, and heart shown by rising to the competition at Peoria. We placed 24th out of 45 teams, and while we narrowly missed besting our 23rd place finish of 2012, we charted our fastest “Top 5” average ever recorded with a time of 16:09! Way to go Bees! We continue the tradition of recording personal bests and overall team improvement at Peoria, growing not just as runners but as a team.
We still have much work to be done. We have tasted the competition and came away satisfied with the day, but must continue our hard work to evolve and progress with the season. We have proven to be progressive and must carry forward this great season’s momentum in order to earn a second trip to Peoria this year. This will not be an easy road. Peoria’s experience must be translated into the guts and packs we bring to practice and competitions EVERY DAY this season.
Today we rest. Tomorrow we RACE!
10 September 2013
Home Quad 9/9
|
Gettysburg! The battle cry echoed over the Zion-Benton home Cross Country course at Shiloh Park yesterday as the ZB men outran their opponents to win their first home meet of the year! Squaring off in this quad competition against Stevenson, Lakes , and Lake Forest, the Zee Bees carefully prepared their course in deceptively exhausting temperatures ranging near 90 degrees and humidity nearly matching this figure. The ZB men took the field ready to defend their home turf no matter the weather conditions. It was this determination that carried the day.
The men prepared both mentally and physically by training extensively at Shiloh and preparing to leverage this home field advantage on Monday evening. In team conversation the home meet was likened to the American Civil War turning point at Gettysburg in July 1863—not only was Gettysburg the northernmost point of advance (Zion is the northernmost meet in the Conference), but it was a battle of endurance and strategy that led to Northern victory. Like our home meet, temperatures were uncomfortably high during the battle; results of opposing strategies showed that endurance and calculated “kick” won the day(s) for the Union over the massed all-out charges of their opponents. Studying the past through extended metaphors is one thing, yet preparing for a home Cross Country race requires precision, planning, and mental toughness across the entire lineup. With a rallying cheer of “Gettysburg!” (and its accompanying hashtag on Twitter) we took the line 29-strong on a field of 117 runners. The ZB men got out in great position, smartly scaling back slightly in mile 1 to form into running packs. After the first mile mark the packs began methodically working forward, taking full advantage of the shady, wooded second mile and entering the final field in excellent positions. The third mile loop around the large park was thrilling for the observer—maroon jerseys worked in small groups and fought their competitors every step of the way. The final 400m kick saw some of the greatest successes of our newer runners, who ratcheted up their pace to competitively stride into the chute. Andrew led the ZB team with a 4th place finish, followed closely by Dakota (6th), Isaac (7th), Lucas (8th), and Desmond (11th). Each ZB runner earned their place and learned their best lessons through the very personal duels with the other runners out on the course; each man came away with a new experience to celebrate and grow from. |
The external factors that could have affected this race were overcome yesterday by the collective toughness of our team and the attitude of meeting challenges head-on. Statistically, the Zee Bees were victorious over Lake Forest 20-43, over Lakes 19-44, and over Stevenson 26-29. The quad victory exemplifies the strength of a team pulling together and charted substantial improvement in Personal Records. The men charted no less than SIXTEEN PRs (career bests), with ten runners beating their last PR by one minute or more—of particular note are the first sub-17 achievements of Dakota and Lucas!
We must move forward with a sense of cautious optimism. While we are now 2-0, the season has just opened and we will be facing tough competition in the coming weeks. We will work hard to continue to improve, but our competitors will be hungry for the chance to rematch—they will have their own homes to defend, and we will again need to defend our home again on 9/30. Our victory was hard-earned and won with class, but must be viewed as our new baseline to surpass. We must carry forth the training, speed work, mental toughness, and heart if we are to continue to have a winning season. Our kicks must lengthen. Our packs must run harder and longer together. We are evolving, too—adapting to each new experience and through the contributions of each team member, manager, parent, and stakeholder. It is up to the runners to carry this momentum forward. This weekend we will field nineteen runners at the Wauconda Invite and twelve at the Peoria Invite. While we will be split, this weekend is an exciting opportunity for all runners to compete in very competitive fields and run with some excellent opponents.
Thank you to all runners, managers, staff, and assistants who made this meet possible! Your flexibility and willingness to help out wherever possible is really appreciated!
7 September 2013
Deerfield Tri 9/6
Yesterday our JV and Frosh-Soph men opened their Cross Country season in the Deerfield Tri. Located at Deerfield High School, we were welcomed by comfortable temperatures, sunshine, and a flat 3.0 mile course. Squaring off against Deerfield and Grayslake Central JV squads, we placed twenty young men on the line with many running the first race of their ZBXC careers!
After the gun went off, the nervousness and trepidation disappeared, replaced with the confidence of their training. Angel led as our fourth runner for the first half of the race as most of the team gravitated into packs and began working forward. Just before the 2-mile, Sergio, Jaalen, and Nate began digging in to join Angel in forward positions in the field. The packs worked through the last mile and focused on their race-finishing kicks through the final 200-300 meters.
The single veteran PR of the day was earned by Kenneth “K-Man” (24:36), who improved nine seconds from the 2012 Conference race! Sergio finished in fourth (20:41), followed by Jaalen in sixth (21:05), Angel in eighth (21:09), and Nate locking down eleventh (21:20). Marek came off of a persistent ankle injury to finish as well. Our young runners have established their first race time of the season and veterans have a starting point to chip away at last year’s PR time. We are finding our stride and learning what it means to race competitively. While we lost in points to Grayslake and beat Deerfield, of greatest importance is the racing experience itself. We have begun this season’s odyssey and take away from this race a common hunger for improvement—the packs will need to bring the competition (particularly for the middle mile), kick with strength on the final 400, and fight for position on Monday when we run of all our men at home.
After the gun went off, the nervousness and trepidation disappeared, replaced with the confidence of their training. Angel led as our fourth runner for the first half of the race as most of the team gravitated into packs and began working forward. Just before the 2-mile, Sergio, Jaalen, and Nate began digging in to join Angel in forward positions in the field. The packs worked through the last mile and focused on their race-finishing kicks through the final 200-300 meters.
The single veteran PR of the day was earned by Kenneth “K-Man” (24:36), who improved nine seconds from the 2012 Conference race! Sergio finished in fourth (20:41), followed by Jaalen in sixth (21:05), Angel in eighth (21:09), and Nate locking down eleventh (21:20). Marek came off of a persistent ankle injury to finish as well. Our young runners have established their first race time of the season and veterans have a starting point to chip away at last year’s PR time. We are finding our stride and learning what it means to race competitively. While we lost in points to Grayslake and beat Deerfield, of greatest importance is the racing experience itself. We have begun this season’s odyssey and take away from this race a common hunger for improvement—the packs will need to bring the competition (particularly for the middle mile), kick with strength on the final 400, and fight for position on Monday when we run of all our men at home.
Warm-up strides
4 September 2013
Lake County 9/3
Yesterday the Varsity boys cut their teeth on the 2013
season with a gutsy opening competition at the Art Campbell Lake County
Invite. Held this year at Waukegan Sports Park just down the road from
ZBTHS, the 3.1-mile course held close resemblance to our Wadsworth training
grounds. Eight runners competed in the Varsity race, with the balance of
the boys' team preparing for their opening competition at Deerfield on Friday.
The men got off to a fast start, with Andrew battling for the lead at the half mile mark and gamely surging into the trails among the leaders at .7 mile and Dakota holding pace as our second man not far behind him. From there the narrow trails through chest-height grassland lent little opportunity for passing for approximately 2.2 miles until the final kick onto the sport fields and finish line. Andrew finished at 12th place overall and the rest of the pack brought the team to a 7th place overall finish out of a field of fourteen. Among the personal highlights were Lucas's PR (1 second) from his top time at Warren last year and Kenneth's 11-second PR over his last year's best! Overall the team's average time improved from last year's 17:22 to 17:18 at the Lake Country meet held at Wauconda.
With this first race under their belts, the men have built a foundation upon which their season's success will be constructed. They adapted well to a start that quickly narrowed. Working on tightening up the pack in the middle miles will be more easily achievable on a more open course, but honing the final kick through the finish line is a must. A short period of rest will hopefully serve to shake some of the persistent illnesses plaguing our team and maintain the confidence needed for top performance next week. We have proven though our training to be adaptable, fit, and prepared to compete. Next up for Varsity is our home meet on 9/9!
Times: Ntim (16:34), Burroughs (17:05), Unze (17:26), Murray (17:37), Arroyo (17:50), Washington (18:17), Caples (18:38), & Olvera (18:46)
Avg: (top 7) 17:18
Place: 7/14
The men got off to a fast start, with Andrew battling for the lead at the half mile mark and gamely surging into the trails among the leaders at .7 mile and Dakota holding pace as our second man not far behind him. From there the narrow trails through chest-height grassland lent little opportunity for passing for approximately 2.2 miles until the final kick onto the sport fields and finish line. Andrew finished at 12th place overall and the rest of the pack brought the team to a 7th place overall finish out of a field of fourteen. Among the personal highlights were Lucas's PR (1 second) from his top time at Warren last year and Kenneth's 11-second PR over his last year's best! Overall the team's average time improved from last year's 17:22 to 17:18 at the Lake Country meet held at Wauconda.
With this first race under their belts, the men have built a foundation upon which their season's success will be constructed. They adapted well to a start that quickly narrowed. Working on tightening up the pack in the middle miles will be more easily achievable on a more open course, but honing the final kick through the finish line is a must. A short period of rest will hopefully serve to shake some of the persistent illnesses plaguing our team and maintain the confidence needed for top performance next week. We have proven though our training to be adaptable, fit, and prepared to compete. Next up for Varsity is our home meet on 9/9!
Times: Ntim (16:34), Burroughs (17:05), Unze (17:26), Murray (17:37), Arroyo (17:50), Washington (18:17), Caples (18:38), & Olvera (18:46)
Avg: (top 7) 17:18
Place: 7/14
Varsity boys starting at Lake County
3 August 2013
Summer Camp Wrap-Up
For seven amazing weeks the dedicated runners of ZBXC have worked to create a team and a culture of excellence in preparation for the season. While many of their peers were relaxing (and hopefully completing their summer reading!) the men and women of our Cross Country program have honed their fitness and fought for their many achievements while synergistically moving from groups of individual runners to a closely-knit team. Their summer accomplishments are numerous and earned through the sweat and dedication of each step of their summer miles.
As the summer camp has concluded and we move into 7 days of captain-led practice, it is a time to reflect on the hard work and accomplishments, as well as look ahead at the incredible potential the 2013 season holds. As one small measure of achievement through statistics, see the mile time trial chart below. While attendance improvement is a goal for this next year, we have overall charted great improvement (and especially in our new runners) over the course of these seven weeks!
As the summer camp has concluded and we move into 7 days of captain-led practice, it is a time to reflect on the hard work and accomplishments, as well as look ahead at the incredible potential the 2013 season holds. As one small measure of achievement through statistics, see the mile time trial chart below. While attendance improvement is a goal for this next year, we have overall charted great improvement (and especially in our new runners) over the course of these seven weeks!
Our other successes are equally notable and numerous, from PPM endurance to nutritional improvement to development of leadership skills. We have also been very fortunate to welcome Coach Shorey to our team! Together we have established a strong foundation and positive work ethic for this upcoming year, and for our program in general. Runners--continue the hard work for this next week and a half, scout and recruit new runners, take care of your paperwork, and prepare to embrace the challenges and ultimate success of this season starting on August 14!
Oshkosh 2013
A New Beginning
For our fourth consecutive year we have been fortunate to bring a contingent of runners to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for a week-long running camp. With summer practices in Zion under the leadership of seniors Raijin and Zack (thank you both!!!), twenty-four runners embarked up a 6-day odyssey of focused distance training, leadership development, and team cooperation. Our weather this year was atypical of late July: consistent mid-70s temperatures were a welcomed surprise, as was the air-conditioned rooms provided by our hosts!
Among the highlights of Oshkosh were the sustaining and development of team traditions. We returned to Oshkosh West HS and its adjacent Garbage Hill for our first workout as paired coed teams competed with strength and intensity on invigorating 800m hill circuits and dueled on 400m track sprints. Josaline and Desmond took third overall (49:03) to narrowly overtake Asia and Daniel by one second! Halie and Kenneth took second (48:39) while senior-freshman duo Kimmy and Sergio surged into first place to win their socks with a time of 48:28!
The following day the traditional Glowstick Relay was modified into the First Annual Glowstick DMR (Distance Medley Relay), with coed teams of four competing in alternating distances of 1200m, 400m, 800m, and 1600m. Each team meticulously mapped their competition strategies (and costumes) in preparation for the evening event. As the sun went down over Oshkosh and glowsticks lit the track, the competition heated up. Runners passed batons in the form of glowing glasses to teammates after each segment...and what spectacles they were! We saw fantastic performances as each teammate conquered their distances--as the dust settled and the glowsticks dimmed, victory was claimed by Cora, Andrew, Sergio, and Kimmy with a combined time of 56:55!
Among the highlights of Oshkosh were the sustaining and development of team traditions. We returned to Oshkosh West HS and its adjacent Garbage Hill for our first workout as paired coed teams competed with strength and intensity on invigorating 800m hill circuits and dueled on 400m track sprints. Josaline and Desmond took third overall (49:03) to narrowly overtake Asia and Daniel by one second! Halie and Kenneth took second (48:39) while senior-freshman duo Kimmy and Sergio surged into first place to win their socks with a time of 48:28!
The following day the traditional Glowstick Relay was modified into the First Annual Glowstick DMR (Distance Medley Relay), with coed teams of four competing in alternating distances of 1200m, 400m, 800m, and 1600m. Each team meticulously mapped their competition strategies (and costumes) in preparation for the evening event. As the sun went down over Oshkosh and glowsticks lit the track, the competition heated up. Runners passed batons in the form of glowing glasses to teammates after each segment...and what spectacles they were! We saw fantastic performances as each teammate conquered their distances--as the dust settled and the glowsticks dimmed, victory was claimed by Cora, Andrew, Sergio, and Kimmy with a combined time of 56:55!
|
Stretching after the DMR
|
Highlights would not be complete without mention of a successful trip to Devil's Lake, WI for a solid morning of hill training and afternoon of hiking and swimming. The following day we embarked on our distance run of the week. We kicked off by following a route through the Oshkosh community then joining up for a respectable jaunt northwest on the Wiouwash State Trail. This scenic trail took us out of the city of Oshkosh along the picturesque and wildlife-filled Lake Butte des Morts. Among the many significant running achievements of the day were the establishment of multiple personal distance records by both men and women--some by as much as 3.5 miles!
The Oshkosh experience was rounded off with meetings with Cross Country Coach McKenna, UWO Hall Director and athlete Mr. Vander Zanden, and Admissions representative Mr. Kopitzke. We also had the opportunity to tour the campus with a current UWO Cross Country/Track athlete and learn from her unique perspective as a collegiate student-athlete. We concluded our stay with a fantastic talent show that showcased the many abilities and talents of our runners (beyond running!) and made for many laughs; at the following awards ceremony Isaac honored Kenneth with the first Link of the season! Incoming freshman Sergio was honored with the Oshkosh Madison award for his growth, achievements, heart, and contributions to the team.
No matter if our runners were at Zion or at Oshkosh, it was a week of honing strength and intensity, punctuated by both personal and team growth. Through taking risks to push the limits each one of us perceives, we have grown a stronger and closer-knit team and strengthened the foundation upon which our season will be built--the foundation upon which our success will derive. As we embark on our last week of summer running camp, the lessons and growth must carry forward in every individual to build the 2013 team into the strongest and best team in ZBXC history!
No matter if our runners were at Zion or at Oshkosh, it was a week of honing strength and intensity, punctuated by both personal and team growth. Through taking risks to push the limits each one of us perceives, we have grown a stronger and closer-knit team and strengthened the foundation upon which our season will be built--the foundation upon which our success will derive. As we embark on our last week of summer running camp, the lessons and growth must carry forward in every individual to build the 2013 team into the strongest and best team in ZBXC history!
Total Unique Visitors in 2013
