2024  Cross  Country

Libertyville  Quad. 9.17.24

It was a dusty eighty-degree evening when we drove south to Adler Park for the Libertyville Quad tonight.  Joining the host, Waukegan, and Stevenson, we came to the course that we know so well--and that many loathe for its hilly terrain.  Regardless, I structured tonight as a workout.  Our main goal this week is to target our racing on Saturday, so today became an exercise in packwork and progressive racing.  I didn't even allow the team to use spikes; everything was geared toward pushing hard and growing in experience.  We walked the loop and saw just how much dust was being churned up on the Des Plaines Trail, and talked about how we needed to hold in our workout groups for at least the first mile, if not the second. Our ultimate goal was closing the final 400m with our fastest split of the day.

It started very well.  Ryan broke away and worked up among the top runners, while Tristan D. and Tony followed. Tristan made a move half a mile in that edged Tony, while Tony was enveloped in a sea of orange and green jerseys.  Our next pack was very cohesive at the mile mark, with Tristan J., Joan, Jay, and Noah M. holding together beautifully.  Our next trio was just forty yards behind them, with Caleb leading Robert and Xander in a great group.  Deonta and Airimus were packed right on a group of Stevenson runners, followed about twenty meters back by a huge Zee Bee pack led by Jimmy and Corey.  Keegan and Braden were right behind them, with a Libertyville and Waukegan runner separating them from both Stevens.  Alex, Jose, Sebastian, and Ziyier were next in very tight formation, effectively blocking out a group of Stevenson runners, and also setting a really robust pace in the first mile.  DJ rounded off the pack, just a moment behind them at the mile.  It was a nice start.

I caught the a few guys in the woods, and then raced down to the trail to coach the finishes.  Ryan and Tristan D. were still rolling solo and worked hard up the hill for the final time.  Ryan finished as our first man at 18:02, and Tristan our second at 18:45.  Our next group was a solid pack at the 400 before breaking away:  Jay and Tristan surged in the pack, with Joan and Noah M. just 

Mundelein  quad. 9.10.24

It's been exactly ten years since we've run out at Diamond Lake, the Mundelein home course.  Whether it's because of site rotations or weather rescheduling, it's been a long time since we've gone out to the wooded, soft bark trails and narrow, crowded parking lot.  This is our only race this week and the first of our three Tuesday quad meets this season, so I asked the team to race and compete at their best.  We didn't have any real course knowledge, so I asked them to keep an open mind and work as best they could at the advantages they could find.  When we walked the one-mile loop, we found short rolling trails with many turns, and ​a large hill with a very soft surface of dirt and bark.  They guys were rather optomistic on the walk-through, and despite the challenges the course produced, they looked forward to getting the race going.  We had to do an abbreviated warm-up and dynamic, but we took the line against Libertyville, Mundelein, and Lake Zurich in 80 degree heat.

​We got off to a positive start with the gun.  With over a hundred runners on the course, it was imperative that we got through the far gate in good position, as the trails are narrow and don't afford a lot of passing opportunities.  I caught the race around the 3/4 mile mark, just as the runners came up the large hill and headed toward the sport fields.  Lake Zurich and Mundelein packs had a commanding lead, with Ryan holding nicely behind the LZ group.  Libertyville was doing a workout and had ten guys packed and pacing behind him.  Tony and Jay were at each other's shoulders with a close group of LZ runners following them; Tristan J., Joan, Noah, and Deonta were just behind them with a few meters separating them.  Noah M., Caleb, and Airimus were next in a close group, and Xander was just two positions behind them.  Robert led Nathan and Steven C. here, followed closely by Corey.  A large Libertyville pack separated Corey from  Jimmy, Keegan, and Steven G, but they were fighting to close in together.  Sebastian led Alex and Braden by a few meters at this point as well, followed by Jose, Deleetre, Ziyier, and Kayden.  I appreciate the close racing in the opening mile.

As the runners surged through and neared the conclusion of their second loop, it was clear that the course had collectively worn us down.  It's not a forgiving one, and though we logged great first miles, the second slowed us up some.  Ryan continued to lead the Zee Bee pack, but part of the Libertyville contingent had made a move and were up ahead.  Tony worked hard up the hill and had some distance on Jay; Noah C. made a move past Joan and Noah M. moved up the Tristan.  Our packs were working at full capacity to get up the wood chip hill, but they were clearly tired.  I urged them to finish in the best way they could.

I ran up the catch the final 400m finishes, and I was excited to see that, despite the fatigue clearly evident on faces and shoulders, our runners were putting in their best to climb to the fields and finish.  The light uphill from the gazebo to the field saw several guys catch competitors and decisively pass.  Ryan finished 19th overall at 17:33, with Tony our second at 30th place and 18:33.  Jalen was next at 18:53, followed closely by Noah C. at 19:03, Joan at 19:15, and Noah M. at 19:43.  Tristan J. and Caleb finished strong as our 7th and 8th at 20:21 and 20:24 respectively, followed by Airimus at 20:44.  For Airimus, this was a lifetime PR, dropping 10s from his Lake County time!  Steven C. was next at 21:19, with Robert at 21:38, Jimmy at 21:55, Deonta at 22:01, and Xander and Corey at 22:08 and 22:09.  Keegan and Steven G. kicked onto the field together, finishing at 22:32 and 22:36 respectively, with Nathan at 23:09.  Braden had a great kick as well, finishing with strength at 23:38, earning a lifetime PR that dropped 8 seconds from Lake County!  He was followed closeby the Alex (24:36), Jose (25:32), Sebastian (25:33), and Ziyier (25:49).  Deleetre and Kayden both had great kicks in the final stretch as well, which earned both lifetime PRs!  DJ ran 28:29, dropping 31 seconds from Lake County, and Kayden finished in 30:16, his first 3-mile!  

I want to write a special congratulations to the four men who charted lifetime PRs tonight--Kayden, Deleetre, Airimus, and Braden.  This was not and easy course by any means, and most guys charted times a bit slower than the previous races. Being able to run lifetime bests on this course is nothing short of impressive--well done!

Tonight was not what many expected.  Strong starts didn't necessarily manifest into strong finishes.  But the experience tonight was pivotal if we leverage it right.  If we continue to approach courses with an open mind and finish at our best when we're tired, we can conquer anything in our way.  The dynamic nature of XC requires this adapability.  We also had really good packwork in the first half, and reformed in the final mile.  There is much power in this!  We will be at Libertyville soon for another hilly experience next week, and hope to see the same open-minded approach when we lace up for that day.  Keep up the good work in 

Rebel  invite  9.7.24

I don't think the temperatures were ever as inviting for this meet as they were this morning.  It was a breezy fifty degrees at dawn and it was not going to be a hot one.  Usually we get scorched on the long day that is the Rebel Invitational, but the prospects at dawn were wonderful.  Unfortunately, we have had a bad bout of Covid running through the team, so our collective numbers were down today with a number of sick runners or runners who had other commitments.  But those who showed up and got on the bus did a wonderful job on a tough course.  UW-Parkside's course is a nationally-ranked Cross Country course but brings with it two large hills to conquer.  We approached 4k and 5k races, which also don't translate well into seasonal comparisons.  I asked the runners not to focus on their times today, but to measure their success through the way they compete and finish.  They seemed to like the metric.

Once we got there, we started walking the course and found that they had actually switched to different loops than those we've run the last few years.  No worries, but it made it a pretty dynamic morning!  The freshman boys 4k was the first to see Zee Bees on the line, and we were represented in strength by Nathan, Kayden, and Xander.  For Kayden this was his first XC race, and he was excited to open his season.  The three surged off the line at the cannon, and had a great start headed up the hill.  I saw them again near the midpoint, where Xander was leading our pack.  Nathan was next, and Kayden just a couple short minutes behind him.  They disappeared into the woods for their final loop, and all three of them emerged later with excellent kicks.  Xander led our pack in with 16:51 and 14th place in the field.  Nathan kicked well as our next man in 19th place, logging 17:35.  Kayden finished his first race in excellent form, racing 22:40 over the course and coming through in 43rd place.  Nice work, freshmen!

Later in the morning it was time for the Varsity to take the line.  I shoulder tapped Robert and Caleb today for their first Varsity races and I was pleased to see them both very excited to step up into this role.  There were only nine varsity teams on the line, by my count, and the field felt even smaller than last year.  Nonetheless, we took a right-side approach to the hill in our planning, and when the gun went off, they followed the plan perfectly.  At the midpoint, Ryan was leading and both Tristan and Tony were rolling in close succession.  Jay had our fourth spot firmly locked down, and Noah M.--still recoving from a week of illness--was racing well as our fifth.  Caleb had a 12m lead on Robert and both looked good after the hilly first half.  Coming through to the finish, Ryan surged past me at 16:58 on the 3-mile clock and finished well at 14th place (17:30).  Tony had edged Tristan at the third mile (18:14 and 14:15 respectively) and they closed in 18:41 and 18:42.  Jalen passed the three-mile with a season-best 18:33 (!) and closed in 19:06.  Noah was next at 20:25 (19:51 at the 3), followed by Caleb at 21:08 (20:37 at the 3) and Robert at 21:51 (21:19 at the 3).  Varsity placed 7th out of 8 full teams.

The JV race was up next and the final race of the day.  We also had our largest pack racing in this competition.  I advised them the same approach on the first uphill segment, and was delighted to see them approach with enthusiasm and attack the heights.  At the midpoint, Deonta was leading the Zee Bee pack, with Jimmy and Corey spread out in the next 100m.  Keegan and Steven G rounded the turn toward the meadow in quick succession, and a moment later Alex surged through the flat stretch.  Jose and Braden were racing shoulder to shoulder here, and decisively passed a Racine Park competitor as they cruised into the second half.  Deleetre was our next man through the midpoint, followed just a moment later by Amir.  They were off to a fantastic start!

Moving to the third mile mark and the final stretch, Deonta cruised past and kicked nicely into the chute to lead the team at 21:56.  Jimmy had a great kick as our next runner, catching two runners at the third mile mark and finishing at 22:11--he also ran a season best 3-mile time of 21:35!  Corey and Keegan kicked in great form as our third and fourth men, finishing at 22:41 and 22:42 respectively; Keegan's kick closed over 50m of distance on Corey in the last 160m!  Steven G. was next at 23:11, followed quickly by great kicks by Braden and Jose (24:32 and 24:39).  DJ surged in just moments later, running 30:15.  Amir finished next at 32:45, racing in his first race greater than two miles for the first time--and running a lifetime PR 32:00 in the three-mile!

I am proud of the performances today--they were gritty.  Running 45-60 seconds for 5k is an expected differential from our usual 3.0 mile races, and some guys ran even faster.  The challenging hills, loose trails, and turns presented challenges that we worked through in great form.  With the sicknesses raging through the team, it would have been an easy option to avoid the rigor of the day entirely and stay home, but we showed up and threw down.  There are not more 4k or 5k races in our season to compare this against, but this day stands as a positive benchmark for our season.  Keep moving forward, Bees!

Lake  County 9.4.24

On a beautiful, 80-degree afternoon we journeyed out to Lakes High School for the Art Campbell Invitational.  This has bounced around different venues:  Wauconda, Waukegan, Grant--and this year the team was absolutely ecstatic that it was hosted by Lakes.  Lakes is a high point of our racing in October every year as our last invite, and the veterans were stoked to get two cracks at it this season. We arrived to a fantastic afternoon and a course in great shape.  Spirits were high, and the runners hungry for success.  

The Varsity men took the line first.  Ryan went out leading our pack, with Tony our second man headed into the backfield, leading a huge pack of competitors that was slightly trailed by Tristan.  Jay held steady a few meters back, with a small gap to Joan and Noah C.  Noah M was racing well as our seventh man.  The pack was generally holding their positions well at the second mile, and, despite feeling the heat and fatigue of the long hill, were racing well. I saw several nice moves on the downhill leading back into the trails--particularly from Jay, Tony, and Ryan-- with some fancy stepping the get into position.  I was able to catch them one final time in the final 200m leading into the finish.  Ryan surged in first with a fantastic kick, earning himself a lifetime PR 16:37 and 35th place in the field.  Tony sprinted in next, with a decisive kick that landed him a huge 17:34 PR, dropping 12 seconds from Deerfield!  Tristan had a great kick and finished as our third at 17:52, followed quickly by Jay and Joan, who battled right into the chute.  Joan edged out Jay to earn 18:31, and Jay a season-best 18:35.  Noah C finished next at 18:42, followed by Noah M. at 19:45.  Our Varsity finished 13th out of 18 total teams.

The large Open race was last tonight.  I absolutely love combined races, with a huge field of competitors and incredible opportunities for our men and women--who train together every day--to compete at each other's sides and let their training serve them best.  This was an exciting race, with the sunset in full grandeur and the temperatures dialing comfortably back.  I caught the pack approaching the mile mark, with Xander leading the Zee Bees in great form.  Airimus and Steven C. were next on the busy trail, followed by Caleb, Robert, and Deonta within close proximity.   Nathan was racing well in his first Cross Country race, followed closely by Corey, Steven G., Keegan, and Jimmy.  Braden and Sebastian were at each other's shoulders a few meters back, with Alex racing next with Jose on his six.  Ziyier and Deeletre, in their first XC races, were holding well with a pack of Lake Forest runners.

Coming through the second mile, Steven C. made a move that usurped Xander's lead of our pack; Xander was still racing well but had tired slightly after his incredible start.  Caleb and Robert remained resolutely together, and Airmus and Deonta fought to stay together in a sea of Lakes competitors.  Nathan had a great second half, too, and stuck gamely with a Deerfield pack and used them to pace into the third mile with Corey just behind him.  Keegan moved just ahead of Jimmy and Steven, and both Sebastian and Braden held together.  I could not wait to see their finishes!

I could not bee more proud of how this group closed out the race.  Steven, who had intended to break twenty minutes in a few races, decisively did just that tonight, surging in as our first Zee Bee for a lifetime PR 19:39!  Caleb rolled up next as our second man for a PR 19:55, his first time breaking twenty as well!  Robert was next with a lifetime PR 20:19, dropping 1:34 from Deerfield!  Xander closed next at 20:20, a 13-second lifetime PR, followed by Airimus at 20:54, a 19-second PR.  Deonta closed at 21:17, a season-best, with Keegan just behind with a great kick at 21:42, just one second away from his lifetime best.  Steven G. was just seconds behind him at 21:49--a season-best as well--with Jimmy steps behind him at 21:55 to also earn a season-best race.  Corey was 22:00, and I had to go to the tenths of a second to determine that this was a lifetime PR by 0.4 second!  Nathan finished his first XC race in 22:21 for a PR, follwed by Jose at 23:32, a PR by nearly a minute over his time at Deerfield.  Braden kicked well at 23:36 in his first 3-mile race, setting a fantastic PR as well.  Sebastian was just behind him at 24:15, a four-second lifetime PR, with Alex just one second behind at 24:16, dropping a 1-sec PR too!  Ziyier finished his first 3-mile race in great fashion at 25:08 for a PR, and Deleetre finished well 29:02, also finishing the first XC race of his life.

I was so proud of the efforts today.  The men who ran their first, or first 3-mile, races tonight deserve a special congratulations.  The collective packwork and fortitude paid off big-time as we charted fifteen total lifetime PRs at the 3-mile distance.  Those who moved the marker from their Deerfield times show continued growth and improvement, which is a challenging thing to do on a tougher course than Deerfield.  The excitement for the night was palpable as we cooled down and collected our things, and I cannot wait to see how we capitalize on this work later this season, on the same course.  We race Parkside this weekend, and hope that this hard work will push us up one more rung of the ladder of success.  Nice job tonight!

Deerfield   8.29.24

We opened the season with a fireworks display at Deerfield last night.  To say that our men showed up and performed would be a gross understatement--they showed up and competed in fantastic fashion in the first competition of the year.  We have a large crew this year--27 strong--and they have, in the few short weeks we have trained, learned to work to each other's strengths and to push each other to greatness. These qualities came through for them in the opening races and set a strong precedent for the season ahead.

I like this race.  Every year, Deerfield provides a flat course and one or two competing teams for a low-risk, accessible race at either two or three miles.  The vibe is inevitably positive, and it is a confidence builder for runners before we get to Lake County and some of the larger invites. The heat wave of the early week had eroded slightly, and temps were just edging under 80 degrees when we arrived. A nice breeze carried through the campus as well, and the evening cooled slighting with each successive race.  While a little on the warm side, conditions were fantastic.  Deerfield and Grayslake North athletes were there as well.

Our first runners, Amir and Braden, took the line in the two mile race. Both new to the sport, they had to quickly familarize with the course, warm up, and take the line against the small field of Deerfield and GN runners. Shaking out the prerace jitters, they threw down a fantastic start at the gun.  Both worked to integrate in the field and aggressively competed around the first field loop.  When they hit the midpoint, Braden had found a good pace among a pack of Deerfield athletes and Amir was pacing well.  Both were racing faster than I had ever seen them run.  When they turned into the fields for the final lap, both were working through the heat to exhibit very strong finishes. Congratulations to both on their first XC races--Braden finished at 14:27, and Amir at 22:10!

The 3-mile was our next race, with twenty-three men competing from ZBXC.  The pack warmed up and prepared well, and by the time we were on the line they looked sharp.  For several, this was to be their first XC races, and for many it was an opportunity to test their summer training and push against the previous year's PR.  I urged them to have fun, but also put their best effort into the race and leave it all on the field.  That's exactly what happened.

At the gun, they surged forward with tenacity.  Ryan raced out for an early 2nd position, with Tony closely following with a pack of Deerfield runners. Tristan D raced as our third, followed by Joan and a pack with Jay and Noah among a bunch of competitors.  Tristan J (TJ) had a fantastic start, racing out ahead of Noah M and Deonta; Steven C. surged out early, too, and worked on a GN runner.  Airimus, Robert, and Corey established a great pack together, followed closely by Steven G, Jimmy, and Keegan,  Xander and Alex packed close, and Sebastian and Jose locked shoulders and pushed forward.  They were feeling the heat a little at the midpoint, but were making some positive moves.  Ryan opened the first mile at a robust 5:08, and was continuing to lead our pack.  Deerfield made a major push in their second mile as well, but our athletes hung on well.  Tony and Tristan raced in very close proximity, with Joan our fourth.  Jay, Noah, and TJ rounded off our top seven, and each man was holding their own.  Back into the fields, I was able to catch a number of finishes.  I'd ask everyone to try kicking at a flag with about 150-200m left, and some great moves were made.  We didn't win all of the kicking battles, but we put up a fantastic fight in the final stretch.

Ryan came in as our first man at 10th overall at 16:52, just a few seconds off of his lifetime PR from last year.  Tristan and Tony pushed hard together, with Tristan finishing his first XC race at 17:42 and Tony right behind him at 17:46.  It was a big PR for both--for Tristan, it destroyed his Bee Linked time of 19:04, and for Tony he beat last year's PR by 24 seconds!  Joan was our fourth man at 18:16, racing a 30s PR over last year, all the more remarkable because he has been biking and going light for the last weeks due to a knee injury.  Noah C was next with a solid 18:21 finish, a 3s PR, followed by Jay, TJ, and Noah M in quick succession.  Jay (19:18) is just coming off being sick and was instructed to go easy, but still threw down a great race.  TJ raced his first XC race and earned 19:34 for his first PR, and Noah broke last year's best by 23s and broke 20 for the first time, racing a PR 19:39!  Steven C was next, racing a huge PR 20:28, breaking his best from last year by 31s, and then Xander and Caleb charged through with amazing kicks.  Xander raced his first XC race tonight as well at 20:33, breaking his Bee Linked PR by a monster 3:25!  Caleb raced a huge 1:17 PR for 20:41, also breaking his previous best from Bee Linked.

Airimus was next at 21:13, breaking last year's best by 16s!  Keegan ran his first XC race and finished just behind him at 21:41, breaking his previous best from Bee Linked by 65s!  Robert and Corey flew in next, Robert (21:53) just seconds off his PR from last year, and Corey racing 22:00--a PR of 2:21 from his Bee Linked time!  Six more Bees finished next in quick succession:  Deonta (22:27), Jimmy (22:30), Steven G (22:50), Alex (24:17, a PR in his first XC race!), Sebastian (24:19, a PR over his freshman year time), and Jose at 24:28--a PR of 5:13 and the largest growth of the entire night.   

It was a wonderful night of racing.  We charted 17 lifetime PRs over the two races today, and drew many imporant lessons in racing experience.  I am very pleased to see the packs form, the teamwork on the tough stretches, and to see the kicks we are collectively developing.  The sense of accomplishment as each runner finished was palpable, and the short conversations with each athlete overwhelmingly positive.  Within just a short period of training we have set a fantastic new benchmark, and I look forward to building on this as we open the season.  There is so much we can accomplish together, and I cannot wait for the journey to unfold!

This next week we have two races:  Lake County on Wednesday (moved to Lakes this year, and nobody is complaining!) and Parkside on Saturday.  The former is going to be a great test of our team against the other local schools (especially NSC teams), and the latter a fantastic challenge at the 5k distance.  Let's go!
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