2025  Cross  Country

Regional 10.25.25

The end of the journey is always tough.  I have seen these guys working hard for months--many of them since the end of May--to put their best efforts into today's Varsity race.  We always want to ensure we get to this point at the top of our fitness and in the best possible mindset, and plan/prepare for every possible factor in our athletes' success.  Today we arrived at the Regional course at Grant with a stellar Varsity pack who was hungry to compete.  I told them to race like it was their final journey, and today it was.  I could not be more proud of the collective efforts and the legacy they left on the field today. 

I spend the days before looking back at the race blogs and Instagram photos and recalling with great pride the successes of this pack.  They have not had an easy journey. The summer was hot, Oshkosh was grueling and smokey, and the early season pushed us to our limits in training and races. Every one of these guys improved as they grew together, and they came together as an amazing team.  Corey and Noah led as Captains, building trust, pride, and accountability. Our seniors helped motivate and lead, and our underclass pack developed into Varsity leaders. Every man had a job to do, and the ten Varsity men from last week represent the greatness of our program and process.  We came the line today as great men who race in an incredibly fast part of the state.  We don't have the depth of sub-16 runners that these other teams do, but we have an unbeatable work ethic and attitude. Points on the field are one measure of a team's success. What cannot be measured is the successes of the journey, a journey that I have so greatly enjoyed with this pack.  Today was the last race-- I asked them to frame it as a celebration of who we are, where have come from, and the work it took to get here.

The first hard frosts of the year were in the days leading up to today, and when we got to the course the frost was melting away and the sun was coming out. The early morning fog on the drive out here was picturesque, and the colors of autumn are in full beauty.  Despite our best efforts, however, the sickness going aroundthe team has only gotten worse in the past week, removing Arwen completely from the women's team today and greatly affecting Noah M and TJ, both of whom chose to race in this hindered condition.  Noah C was afflicted by an acute nerve pain throughout his foot and calf, to the point he could barely walk and certainly not run.  I made the choice to slide Ethan into his spot in the top seven, an opportunity that later saw Ethan run a lights-out race today. Steven C was bummed to not have a spot, but I appreciate that he stayed warm, energized, and ready just in case he was needed.

We watched the women race first at 10am. They ran a very gutsy race with only five, and in the process we celebrated Alivia making it to the Sectional as the final individual qualifier!  Congratulations, Alivia, and to the women that raced today!

The men warmed up and got their bibs on.  Noah M, T-Dunc, TJ, Ethan, Braden, Corey, and Xander represented us in the Varsity uniforms today, and they put their nerves aside and prepared with their usual focus.  With Noah C unable to race, he gave a moving speech to his teammates and we promised to take 10 hard steps for him every time we conquered the hill.  I know this hurt to give up his final race, but he made the right decision today as a leader, pouring everything he had into his team today.  When the gun went up, the team was primed and ready to catch jerseys.  Then, with a sharp crack, the silence was broken and the field surged forward.

The race quickly separated in the first mile into several distinct packs.  The front-runners held a fast pace, and in the second group T-Dunc led the Zee-Bees well.  TJ was just twenty meters behind him, holding a good start depite his sickness. Xander locked in our thid position, followed by Ethan, then Corey, and then Noah/Braden in lockstep.  Around the field, they held their positions well, with Tristan just outside the top thirty and TJ fighting for breath through his sickness but passing two guys heading into the trails.  Xander packed up just behind a Stevenson and Grant pair, with Ethan and Corey close together and Braden now about 60m behind them. Noah was next, clearly not feeling great at all, but running strong.  

The final trip up the hill they looked solid and were racing at their best.  Tristan D was right next to a pack of four and beat them on the incline; TJ was just a few meters behind the guys he had overtook a mile previously.  Xander attacked the hill really well, catching a Stevenson opponent by the time we got to the top.  Ethan kicked hard up the hill, too, in a nice mid-race move.  Corey followed, and Braden was next, having caught Noah in the last mile.  Noah worked hard on the hill as well, and we were into the final third of the race.

T-Dunc led our team the entire way, finishing with a solid kick and 16:46 finish, earning 45th place overall and finishing right on the heels of a pack of four.  TJ was our next guy, summoning his signature stride to catch a brace of Grant runners in the final stretch and finishing in 62nd place at 17:26.  Ethan put in a fantastic final mile, advancing from our fourth runner to our third, catching Xander on the trail and working ever upward!  He kicked hard for 18:00, followed by Xander at 18:15.  Corey, Braden, and Noah came through in quick succession, with Corey earning 18:44, Braden finishing at 19:10, and Noah at 19:20.  The Bees placed 11th out of 12 full teams today. Our 1-5 split was 1:58, right in line with what it's been most of the season.  

And just like that, with the silence following the final runner's approach, the season had come to an end.   This is always a challenging moment for me, seeing the inevitable conclusion of a process we have worked through for so long.  The last five months of hard work in the heat and miles on the trails, plus the many races in between, have reached their natural conclusion. Every season needs to end sometime, and today was our day.  I commend the incredible team that made it here, and in particular the Varsity pack that trained and fought for every place.  I know there is some celebration felt in being done and not having to push into pain thresholds for a while now. These guys have earned a break, and they have earned the honor of retiring at their best. I'm happy and proud to have coached these guys and to have seen their growth. Thank you, athletes, for a great 2025 season!

Now, let's see Alivia off to Sectionals!

Conference  10.18.25

By 9:30 am it was all over.  The Conference meet had been run.

It was a wild couple of days leading up to this moment. We had a great week of training, but had heavy rain and thunderstorms move in over Friday nigth and well into Saturday morning.  Efforts to consider moving the meet did not pan out, but we did agree to move the meet up to 8am on Saturday morning to hopefully dodge the worst of the weather. Leaving the house, it was torrential rain and lightning, with sudden flooding in several areas. But things had lightened up by the time I got to Zion, which proved to be a good sign for the next couple of hours. The men shrugged off the sleep and got on the bus at 0600, then arrived at the O'Plaine campus in the dark.  Miraculously, the course was wet but still quite solid. There was barely any standing water and only a few slick corners. We hoped that the deluge and slippery course of 2023 would not come back today.

We set up in the cafeteria and the Varsity, 10-strong, went out on their warmup.  The sky cracked a subtle sunrise and the clouds shifted away, taking the drizzle with them.  By the time we were taping spikes onto feet, there was even a little sunlight filtering down and the daylight welcomed a great course. We had box #1, a great draw with a straight shot to the first turn.  The men were a little nervous, but I could tell they were excited.  It was 8am. Suddenly, the gun broke the silence and the race was on!

We got out in good position. The Tristan Pack raced out together with an aggressive first 800 and placed themselves firmly in the top thirty. Xander and Noah C went out hard as our third and fourth men and then we had a fantastic pack racing together, with Ethan, Noah M, Corey, and Braden tightly bunched.  Caleb ran by a moment later, unfortunately with chest soreness limiting his exertion, but still giving everything he had.  Steven C was about thirty meters behind him, rounding out the pack of ten.  I caught them again just after the mile mark, when they left the stadium for the first time.  The Tristans were racing at a great pace right off of each other's shoulders, and Xander had put three Stevenson runners between him and Noah C, who was racing with three Mundelein athletes.  The pack behind him was now led by Braden, with Corey pushing them together--they decisively passed a Stevenson athlete before heading into the woods. Steven had pushed up and past Caleb, and had his sights on a Waukegan athlete.

I caught them again as they closed in on mile #3.  T-Dunc had put twenty meters on TJ and overtaken a Mundelein runner, but TJ did a great reset and went after him.  Xander was still holding well onto the pack of Mundelein and Stevenson guys, and Noah C was holding steady.  Noah M was now leading the pack, with Corey second and then Braden and Ethan slightly spread back; Steven was racing beside the Waukegan guy now.  I saw them again with about 600 left, and the Tristans were still spread apart--T-Dunc raced in as our first man at 16:18, earning a PR and 21st place in the field!  TJ closed the gap considerably with a mighty kick, finishing right behind T-Dunc at 16:21 and earning a massive PR as well!  Xander kicked well to finish at 17:48 as our third man, and Noah C our fourth at 17:56.  Noah M led the next pack in as our fifth scoring man at 18:12, followed by Braden's 18:19 PR, Corey at 18:22, and Ethan at 18:36.  Steven brought his race to a close at 19:02, followed by Caleb at 20:55.  The Zee Bees placed 7th out of 7 full teams (Waukegan did not have a full squad), and tied Lake Forest for points in the meet. Since LF had their 6 and 7 ahead of ours, the 6th place went to them.  

A huge congratulations to the Tristans, both of whom earned NSC All-Conference Honorable Mention medals today for their 21st and 22nd place finishes!

The decision was made to run the F/S and JV/Open races together today--a decision I completely agree with and hope to see implementedd in the future as well. This makes for a larger race and allows our runners to work together in the packs they have forged all season long.  We had ten men take the line in this race, with Keegan and Steven G getting everyone organized and warmed up. The sun actually came out and the sky cleared up for the start of this race, bring a positive energy to the line with this amazing team.  A couple of crisp strides and they were ready to go at 9am, each having set great racing goals and knowing that this would likely be the last race.

The gun went off, and the men surged out across the glistening field! Steven took an early lead in our pack, racing out the hardest I've ever seen him run in the opening mile and placing himself firmly in the middle of a large Warren pack.  Max and Jairo were next, right at each other's shoulders, with Aydan and Keegan just four positions behind them doing the same thing. They were followed a moment later by a great pack of four, with Micah leading Laderris, Hugo, and Malik.  Santiago was next, passing two Stevenson runners as he surged past me, and David rounded off the pack with a great start that passed a LF runner on the trail as well. It was a great start!

I caught them again at the southernmost part of the course, just after they exited the stadium.  Max had taken a decisive lead for the Zee-Bees, pulling Jairo up to Steven and racing the best I've ever seen from him.  Keegan and Aydan remained tightly grouped with a pair of Mundelein runners on their backs, and Micah continued to lead Malik and Laderris. Hugo had faded back slightly, with Santi and David holding their own.  Coming out of the stadium the final time in the third mile, Max had lengthened his lead on the rest of the Bees and showed no signs of slowing down. Jairo had moved up to our second position and was working with a group of LF runners, followed by Steven and Aydan in good positions. Steven was now our fifth man, a little winded from the hard start, but racing a great final race of his senior year.  Micah and Malik had pulled well ahead of Laderris at this point, but Laderris had not slowed at all. 

Their finishes were fantastic. Seeing the time, I yelled at Max to close his race, which he did--breaking 20 for the first time in his life with a great lean and massive PR 19:59!  Aydan surged ahead and finished right after him at 20:07, with Jairo running a 6s PR 20:10 right on his heels!  Keegan kicked well as our next man at 20:22 and a great finish.  Malik and Micah cruised into the stadium together and Malik narrowly moved past Micah in the finish--he raced a 66 second PR at 20:54! Micah broke his previous PR by 62 seconds, racing a lifetime best 20:56 today as well!  Steven and Laderris were next, rounding the stadium curve in good form and sprinting hard into the finish.  Steven raced 21:31, mere seconds off of his season best, and Laderris earned a lifetime PR 21:42, dropping 61 seconds from his best at Lakes!  Hugo finished well at 23:10, exactly matching his Lakes time, and he was followed closely by Santiago at 23:27.  For Santi this was a 1 second lifetime PR, beating his Lakes time!  David was the final Zee-Bee, running a great race and his FIFTH CONSECUTIVE LIFETIME PR, dropping 27 seconds from Lakes to race 26:14!  David has earned a lifetime PR in every race this season!  In my years of coaching, I have never had an athlete do this.  Congratulations, men!  The F/S team scored 7th place out of 7 full teams, as did the JV pack.  It has been several years since I have been able to field full teams at each level, and these ten raced incredibly well today.  

And then it was 9:30 am.  And our Conference racing was done.

It is remarkable to look back at what we achieved, both this morning and over the course of the season.  The hard work these men put in came to fruition at just the right time, and they ran peak races here in the last week.  Between Lakes and Conference, nearly every man ran at the top of his game; without exception, every man has exemplified incredible growth.  To say that I'm proud would be a gross understatement.  The successes are a product of their hard work and resilience this season, and a testament to the respect they have for each other, and for the program.  These are outstanding athletes, and outstanding men of character who know how to work hard. For those that Conference proved to be your last race--congratulations!  And for those moving on to the Regional next week at Grant--let's get after it!

Lakes  Sunset  Invite  10.10.25

There are some meets where everything just clicks.  Today was one of those amazing days!  

With the weather cooling gently into the mid 60s and the cloudless sky beckoning with a comfortable atmosphere, we boarded the buses and headed out to Lake Villa for the annual Sunset Invite.  This is always one of our best meets--the course is three good 1-mile loops, the energy is exciting, and the team is always nearest their peak strength.  Coach Tolliver and I boarded the two buses right after school and traveled out to the course. The timing is always dicey for the first race at 4:30, so the team had to quickly assemble, warm up, and get through the long bathroom line.  Some were pinning on bibs right as the gun went off, but the team that took the line for the Bronze wave was as prepared as could be for what was ahead.

Aydan went out hard and led the Zee-Bee pack the entire way.  Jairo was our second at the midpoint, with Stevne G not far behind him and Max just a few dozen meters back.  Jimmy followed in the second mile, with DJ and Hugo just a few seconds behind and racing well in the vast race.  Laderris, Micah, and Malik were closely packed here, as were Ovier and Santiago.  I caught their second mile in the back field, then hustled up to the finish to see them come through.  Aydan led the team right through the chute, racing sub-20 for the first time and finishing at 19:58--a 69 second lifetime PR!  This was destined to be the first of many PRs tonight as the men and women surged through behind him.  Jairo was next at 20:17, a 90 second PR, followed by Steven G at 21:09--a robust Season Best--with Max just behind him at 21:45.  Jimmy kicked hard for 21:55, a great Season Best as well, with DJ at 21:55 on his shoulder--a 93 second PR for DJ!  Malik was just steps behind, finishing at 22:00 and earning an 89 second PR!  Micah was just steps behind at 22:05 (just seconds away from his PR), followed by Laderris at 22:43--a 44s PR!  Hugo had a tough race and finished with great heart at 23:10, followed by Santiago at 23:28, a 20 second PR!  Ovier finished well at 24:11, a 97s PR, and David brought a great race to a close at 26:41--a 1:57 PR!  WOW!!!!

The Silver race was next, and we had four men on the line.  They had a little more time to get settled and were warmed up and quite prepared for the gun.  The pack surged out and the men were in great position with Caleb leading the Zee-Bee charge.  Corey had overtaken Caleb at the midpoint when I caught them next, with Steven racing well as our third and Keegan our fourth.  Their paces for the first two miles were excellent, and I hoped they would finish with the same energy.  I should not have been worried at all, however, as I caught their blistering finishes in the final stretch!  Caleb punched hard down the finish stretch, and Corey maneuvered past three competitors to make up 15 meters before the finish--Corey narrowly edged Caleb at the finish line, both finishing at 18:12!  For Corey this was a 35 second PR, and for Caleb a 7s drop, which cracked past his standing PR from last season!  Steven was next at 18:53, a monster PR by 38 seconds and his first time breaking 19!  Keegan finished a fantastic race here as well, dropping a whopping 58 seconds to race sub-20 for the first time in his life!  He finished at 19:46!

No sooner had I celebrated these outstanding finishes than I turned to the Gold race that was assembling. With the sun setting, the golden hour was upon us and the race took shape with great enthusiasm!  The pack got out with great gusto.  Tristan D led the crew, with Noah C as our second in the backfield.  Xander was our third and Ethan and Noah M our next men. They looked absolutely solid at the midpoint, and looked to be racing with relative ease as they pushed into the third mile.  And push, they did!  Tristand finished as our first with a nice kick and 6 second PR to rund 16:25!  Noah C was next up, sprinting home for 17:17 and a 22 second PR!  He was followed by Xander's lifetime PR 17:38, which was 10 seconds faster than the Deerfield time he's been chasing all season.  Ethan and Noah M kicked together all the way home, with Ethan racing 17:48, his first sub-18 time and 23 second PR! Noah ran a Season Best 17:49 just a second behind Ethan.  These men raced hard!  

When the dust had settled, we had cinched a truly amazing night for ZBXC.  The men raced for 3 Season Best times and 16 total lifetime PRs!  This night charted the greatest growth I have seen this season, and for good reason--the team is at its peak fitness and they know exactly how to race.  They worked incredibly hard together and achieved unbelievable times on the course. I cannot wait to see how we leverage this into the Conference meet this upcoming Saturday, which, if this Lakes meet is any indicator, will be truly epic.  I hope they all see and feel the progress tonight, and ride this momentum to even greater heights.  Well done, Bees!  Lakes will not be forgotten!

Peoria  Invite  10.4.25

Near-record high temperatures swept through this week, unseasonably warm for October.  The usual cooler temperatures and colorful leaves have been pushed off into the foreseeable future, and replaced instead with temps in the high 80s.  While we didn't eventually see a heat record this weekend, we were incredibly close.  I loaded up eight Varsity athletes, skipped the Homecoming Pep Rally, and drove off in 80 degree warmth to Peoria for the annual Peoria Invite.  I was transparent with the guys--they knew it was going to be a toasty one, but our goal remained steadfast:  compete at our best level, and leverage this race to improve our pack, our kicks, and our overall performance.  The mood on the bus was jovial and upbeat, but on the fringes of the weekend sickness had started to permeate the team. One man was out with Covid this week, and Tristan D, our top runner, had to stay home from the trip due to illness.  Over the course the weekend, two more guys would get sick, and even in the week after it would continue to ravage through our ranks.  Not a great scenario, but we took the trip and hoped for the best results.

We got down to the course to find it dead. The grass was brown and bone-dry, dry dirt everywhere turned to dust clouds when we ran through it, and the temperature at 7pm was a robust 86.  There were swarms of gnats that clung to us and kept our mouths closed when doing the shakeout. Regardless, we completed the task and finished with a really neat dusk that gave way to a dazzling moon.  After a solid finish stride and stretching, we crossed the river to East Peoria and settled into the hotel.  We all got stuck in the elevator.

After liberation and a great dinner at Avanti's, we met as a team and discussed goals for the next day.  The men acknowledged the obvious challenge of the weather forecast, but pledged that their progress would instead be measured in how they chose to compete, and not solely on time.  We discussed how our teamwork would carry the day, and how best to approach the course the next day.  I told them that the race is a turning point in the season that forges the pack into a team ready for the State Series. The success of the race would not be measured at the race itself, but how well we leverage it in the coming weeks.  TJ was falling asleep on the floor by this time, and it was time to get to bed.

The next morning was already 70 degrees at 6:30am when I went out for a shakeout. There was a hazy cloud cover and not the impressive sunrise I usually get to experience on these Peoria mornings.  There was no breeze, either, just a still heat that was building into what would amount to a toasty day. I picked up some Gatorade and snacks for the team at Walmart, and it was time to head to the course.

We arrived in good spirits at Detweiller, which was in the 2A races at that time. It was 80 degrees by 10am when we went out to warm up, and each race kicked up large clouds of dust across the course.  The dry heat invited immediate perspiration, which attracted a thick layer of dust. Noah M had started to feel ill the night before and worse this morning, and I asked Ethan to step up from the alternate role to race--he was happy to embrace the challenge.  The team warmed up and went to our box to check in.  The races before left a cloud of dust suspended above Detweiller, but we took the line from box 25 and awaited the gun.

​The gun went off and over 250 runners surged forward across the hot field.  Clad in our Varsity jerseys, the Zee Bees were easy to spot as they worked back up the long stretch toward the second turn.  TJ led our pack and came through the dust cloud at the mile mark right at 5:30, with most of our guys nicely situated between 5:45 and 5:50.  Noah, Ethan, and Xander were packed very nicely together, Corey was just a few dozen meters behind them, followed by Braden and then Caleb.  Caleb wasn't feeling great when we started, and it was clear the heat and sickness were making him hurt--he was holding on right around 7:00 at the first mile.

I caught them just past the midpoint when they got out of the "Back Forty" and returned to the field to surge toward the 2-mile mark.  TJ was enveloped in a pack of eleven athletes and holding nicely with them.  Xander and Noah were still racing well together here, with Ethan dropping back a number of paces.  Corey kicked out and around a Homewood-Flossmore runner when we crossed the culvert, followed by Braden and Caleb in similar positions from their first miles.  The heat and dust hit them right in the faces as they worked through the second mile and to the top of the course.  A few weeks ago, this team would have folded into a comfort zone, but we've been racing in heat and training, and the sheer resilience of these guys was paying off with gutsy races in the uncomfortable conditions.  They rounded the course and used the downhill nicely, fighting for every step and fighting to stave off the fatigue.  

TJ was our first Zee-Bee to finish, giving every ounce of his strength to finish in 166th place at 17:28.  Noah C nearly caught up to him, finishing at 17:39 and 177th place in the race.  He was followed by Xander at 18:07 and a gutsy finish.  Ethan was just behind him at 18:11, racing the team's sole PR and racing 31 seconds faster than he did at JT last weekend!  Congratulations, Ethan! Corey earned our fifth scoring rank and 18:50, followed by Braden at 19:12 and Caleb at 22:10.  The Bees placed 33rd out of 38 full teams today.

Peoria wasn't quite the opportunity we had hoped for, in terms of the weather.  We knew this as we approached, and the men ran without fear today.  They knew it was going to be uncomfortable and difficult, and still they threw themselves into the crucible.  Most were actually quite close to their PR times and felt pretty positive about the challenging experience.  I look forward to seeing how they choose to make this experience count in the coming weeks when the weather inevitably cools down.  This was a fun trip and a great pack who are poised for a great end to the season.  Let's go!

Mundelein  Quad  9.30.25

This is the second tough course for us this week. Last year was the first time we journeyed out to Mundelein's course at Diamond Lake Sports Complex in about a decade, and this year we were back to hit the hilly trails once more.  Since we raced Grant just two days before, I developed today as a workout. The goal was to 1.) pack up in small groups,  then 2.) run the first mile easy, then progress up to race pace in the third mile. The men were packed into groups of three or four with goals for their workout.  The temperature was supposed to be just above eighty at race time, but when we arrived it was actually chilling out a bit to the high seventies--a nice respite from the heat we've been experiencing.

The men walked the course and warmed up right on time. Warren, Mundelein, and Libertyville all had the same plan as us today--to run this as a workout.  When the gun went off, we were across the field and into the trails for the first lap.  The majority of this course is hidden away from spectators, who congregate around the sport field where the runners pass twice and also finish.  With Coach Tolliver stationed at the big hill, I positioned near the mile mark to see the progress of the packs as they passed.  

TJ was our first man through. He had not been able to race at Grant, and I asked him to race this one. He was on the heels of Mundelein runners and was running really well.  Tristan D, Xander, and Noah C were next at the mile, packed right at each other's shoulders and holding strong. Steven C was through next, leaving his pack behind and running up in the first mile at a faster pace than anticipated; he was followed by Caleb, Noah M, Braden, Corey, and Ethan in a solid group.  Max, Keegan, and Aydan were through next and packed nicely, followedby Jimmy, Hugo, and Jairo together. Laderris was our next man, followed by DJ, Micah, and Malik.  Ovier and Santi were the final pack through the mile, and we were off to a positive start.  These groups held really well in the second mile, with Steven C. slipping back after a first fast mile.

It was in the third mile that we shone today.  TJ finished his run at a solid 17:25, and Tristan D had a great finish that held off a large group of competitors and earned an 18:08 finish. Xander and Noah C were right behind him at 18:56 and 19:00 respectively, followed by Caleb (19:22) and Noah M (19:23) in close succession.  Braden, Corey, and Ethan kicked in as a pack (19:46, 19:54, and 19:56), followed by Steven C (20:22).  Keegan (21:38), Aydan (21:42), and Max (21:48) were next in close succession, with Keegan reeling in a pair of competitors in the final stretch with a nice finish.  Jairo opened up and finished 22:37, with his pack of Hugo and Jimmy finishing at 23:04 and 23:08.

Laderris, DJ, and Malik were up next, with a sizzling final mile earning all three lifetime PRs in the workout today!  Laderris dropped 14 seconds to 23:27, beating his time from the Home race.  DJ raced 23:28 tonight, dropping 7 seconds from Lake Forest.  And Malik raced 23:29, dropping 17 seconds from Home.  These great PRs represent great progress from these young men, and was a most welcomed surprise in today's tactical workout.  Micah was next with a great finish at 23:39, not far from Malik in the chute.  Santiago and Ovier both finished at 26:09, working well together and summoning a good kick.

Overall, we got what we came there for:  a workout with hills and progressive practice.  Seeing three men race PRs was nice, as well as seeing the pack that worked well together. I appreciate that the team trusted the plan today and largely stuck to it. The final miles and nice kicks in the sports field at the end show positive progress as well.  We've had two challening races, but our training is geared toward the next weeks at Lakes and Conference for most of these guys.  If they can run tactically in the heat and on hills (and many close to their PRs), surely we are showing the right progress at the right point in the season.  Good work tonight!

JT Invite  9.27.25

It was a cloudless and gorgeous day as we boarded the bus and drove out to Grant's Bulldog Athletic Complex. This course is one we've always considered our "home away from home" due to the regularity of our racing there, and--despite the challenging hill that must be climbed three times--it is a course we typically run well on.  There was a heavy dew and the day later gave way to temperatures in the 80s, but for the early races, the day was incredibly pleasant.  The energy was positive for the bus ride and we arrived at a course in beautiful shape.  We set up the tent and went out to check out the terrain, and I asked Keegan to move up and join the Varsity pack. He agreed without hesitation and we were ready for the race day.

The Frosh-Soph pack launched first, just after the women had completed their race. Several of our Varsity-level runners had opted to run in this race, capitalizing on one of the final F/S opportunities of their careers.  Tristan D. ran out as our first runner and quickly settled in with a top pack of Lake Forest runners in 5th place coming into the first mile mark. Xander was our second at the mile mark, chasing a trio of Round Lake runners, with Ethan quick on his heels.  Max and Aydan were packed up and raced very well up the first hill, followed by Jairo and Hugo racing side-by-side. Micah came through next, leading Ovier and Santiago and racing with strength.  A mile later, Tristan's LF competitors were replaced by the Round Lake pack, and Tristan was holding well at 5th overall!  Max had put a few strides on Aydan, and both Hugo and Jairo were together still.  A Wheeling runner was edging ahead of Ethan and going for Xander, but Xander held him off going into the trails the final time.  

The F/S finished in great fashion, decisively kicking with the strength we've been building for the final 400s. Tristan raced in and took fourth overall (17:00), earning himself a medal!  Xander kicked well and finished as our second at 18:41, earning a 19th place ribbon in the race; he narrowly beat Ethan, who closed for a PR 18:42 and 20th place ribbon!  Aydan was our next man in, kicking very well to run 21:27 and pass Max back in the final mile. Max had rolled his ankle again but stuck with it and finished as our 5th at 22:05. He was followed by Jairo (22:51), Hugo (23:20), Micah (23:56), then Santi (25:23) and Ovier (26:05). All increased well in the final 400 and finished well today.  The F/S placed 7th out of 10 full teams on the line today.

​The Varsity warmed up next and took the line with the heat starting to increase.  This reminded us of Dawson last weekend, which got toasty and challenging.  Still, the men prepared for the challenge ahead, with Keegan joining for his first Varsity race of the season.  The gun fired, and the pack was off!  Noah C rolled out as our first man, and I caught them at second journey up the hill.  Caleb was racing hard as our second, followed by Braden, Corey, Noah M, Steven, and Keegan.  They gave a positive account of themselves up the hill that second time, and kicked on the flat ground at the top to get into position.  In the second mile, Noah C was still our top racer and doing well, and Noah M had made a move to advance ahead of Caleb and Corey--they formed great pack here. Braden found a large gap around him and headed out into the trails well, with Steven and Keegan running well.  On the final lap, Noah continued to lead and Caleb edged forward ahead of Noah M once more, with Corey holding on well and Steven just behind him, having overtaken Braden.  

Noah C raced in as our first man in 32nd place overall, finishing at 18:10 and kicking nicely into the chute.  Caleb was our second at 19:05, barely edging Noah M's 19:05 matching finish in a great kick!  Steven and Corey flew in next, with Corey narrowly winning the footrace at 19:54 and Steven finishing at 19:55.  Braden was next at 20:11, followed by Keegan's finish at 21:04. The Varsity placed 9th out of 10 total teams--not bad, considering our top three racers were running F/S today.  Nice work, Varsity!

The last race of the day--and inevitably the warmest--was the open race. I have always liked how Grant does this, with the large open race with men and women racing together. Today the temps were toasty but the team looked ready to work together.  When the gun went off, the team surged ahead and right up the hill with great enthusiasm.  Steven G led our pack at the mile, staying close on the shoulder of a Carmel runner, and DJ was our second just a few meters behind him.  Malik put a great start down and was racing well as our third man coming through the mile, with Laderris, Jimmy, and David just behind him.  The positions stayed the same through the second mile mark, and, while the heat was certainly a factor, the team was racing well. I was impressed by the moves up the hill the third time they conquered it, with the athletes catching runners at the top instead of chilling back to recover immediately.  Steven surged through to finish as our first man at 22:29, with Deleetre and Malik rounding the field not far behind him.  DJ finished at a solid 23:53, and Malik at 23:58.  Laderris and Jimmy were there a moment later, with Laderris earning a 24:24 finish and Jimmy 24:53. 

David was our final man, running the race of his life today.  He kicked better than I have ever seen before, and this paid off big-time with his finish. He raced 28:38, dropping over a minute from his time at the Home Quad--no easy feat on this course!  Very proud of you, David!  The Open racers placed 8th our of 8 teams.

Time wasn't how we measured success today, but we also had many guys nearly match their PR races in the heat and terrain.  For the Varsity, this was a dry-run for the upcoming Regional that will be at this course later in October.  The experience of a challenging XC course is also one that I embrace for this team--it teaches us how to work through hills and to compete when we're uncomfortable.  We kicked well today and came away with two nice PRs (Ethan and David). The men felt they had fulfilled their objectives, and raced to their potential. I cannot wait to see how we leverage this experience in a couple short weeks when we hit the Conference and Regional meets. Nice job, Bees!

Dawson  9.20.25

This meet is always a great point in the season for fast racing. We got on the bus today in high spirits and facing a day that was steadily heating up after the storms the days before.  As the overcast morning gave way to high-UV sun, we got off the bus at Warren's flat course and set ourselves on a trajectory for success.  The three one-mile loops is a departure from the courses we have run before, and I stressed that today was an all-out effort.  The men were hungry and excited as they walked the course and warmed up.

The first race launched the frosh-soph pack from the first box.  Led by Tristan J., the crew had a great start across the field and I caught them just past the 800 mark.  Tristan was sitting well in 5th and ended up at a blistering 5:15 first mile.  Ethan rounded the first mile at 6:01 and was racing well as our second man, followed by Aydan and Max in a solid unit.  In the thick crowd of racers, Jairo was our next man and Micah just meters behind him, then Hugo , Santiago, and Ovier.  The first miles looked fantastic and the men had really gotten out well.  We slugged it out in the second mile, most guys losing a couple positions and slowing by 30-60 seconds.  They worked as best as they could into the third, with Tristan slipping back outside the top twenty by the second mile mark and the guys fighting into the third loop.  They did well in the final mile, though, with several making gains:  Ethan moved up nine spots, Jairo moved up eleven, Micah fifteen, and Hugo, Santi, and Ovier six each by the finish!  Tristan finished as our first man today in 24th place (17:19), not too far off of his PR last week.  Ethan was next at 18:43, racing a lifetime PR that beat his Deerfield time by five seconds!  Aydan was our third with a huge lifetime PR as well, racing 21:07--4s faster than the Quad this week and extending his PR streak to three! Max was right next to him and ran a PR, too, running 50s faster than at Home last week and earning 21:09!  Jairo was next in with a PR kick that landed a finishing time of 21:47 and breaking 22 for the first time.  He was followed quickly by Micah's 21:58 lifetime PR as well, breaking 22 for the first time and beating his Deerfield time.  Hugo followed with a solid effort (23:35), followed by Santiago (23:48) and Ovier (27:00).  For Santiago this was a lifetime PR, racing 33s faster than his previous best.  The F/S Bees placed 17th out of 25 full teams today.

The Varsity was next and the day had warmed up far beyond expectations. It was still and toasty, with the men sweating already by the time they pinned on their bibs and laced up.  These seven looked tuned-up and ready though, and brought a positive energy to the box.  With the gun, the Varsity race was off and our men charged across the field.  We were short two of our top runners, but Xander, Noah M., and Noah C. stepped up and led the Zee Bee pack into the first mile.  At the first 800, Braden was our fourth man with Corey close on his heels, then followed by Caleb and Steven.  Xander was first through the mile at 5:39, with Noah C. just behind him at 5:41, then Noah M. at 5:50 and Corey and Braden both racing under 6.  The second mile saw the squad lose a few positions, though Caleb and Steven worked up a couple of places.  I caught them on the pond side of the loop and it was clear the heat was taking a toll and the solid first mile had sapped the pack's strength more than anticipated--they were hanging tough, though, and fighting hard into the third mile. At the finish, Noah C. overtook Xander and rolled hard into the stadium and earned the Varsity pack's sole PR--17:39!  He was followed in by Noah M. (18:16), followed quickly by Xander (18:28), Corey (18:53), and Braden (19:14).  Caleb worked hard in the final loop to earn a time of 19:49, with Steven C. rounding out the pack at 20:17.  The Varsity men placed 21st out of 21 full teams on the course today.  

The final race was a toasty Open race with the sun starting to get really uncomfortable.  The pack was ready, however, and took the line with great enthusiasm.  With Keegan leading off, Steven G., Jimmy, Malik, and Laderris surged out in great form.  In the first mile, Keegan led the Zee Bee pack at 6:43 and Steven was not far behind at 7:08--both used the slight downhill by the Warren camp very effectively!  Jimmy and Laderris came through the mile at 7:10 and 7:15 respectively while enveloped in a large pack of competitors, followed by Malik at 7:38--these were great paces! The pack tempered the second mile's pacing, and, like the previous races, it was apparent the heat was taking a toll.  Each man did solid resets when asked, and continued to use the downhill to aggressively move up and close the gaps ahead.  Keegan was our first man through the finish line at 20:55--just a few seconds away from his lifetime best.  Steven was next through at 22:26, followed by Jimmy at 23:35, Malik right on his heels at 23:49, and Laderris at 23:53. They just barely missed PRs as well, but showed great fortitude in the racing conditions today. These five men placed 18th out of 19 full teams.

It wasn't an easy day by any means, despite the excellent terrain.  We certainly are improving on the kicks, but did not hold the great first miles into the second and third as we collectively intended. Today represented a solid effort, as nobody shied away from the discomfort of racing hard, and I believe a little tuning of our endurance will help bridge the first through third miles with greater consistency.  The men were tired and gave everything they had today. With a week until the next race, I am looking forward to seeing how a little rest and tuning will pay off at Grant. Nice work, men!

Home  9.16.25

It is always a joy to host and see our runners take the field at Shiloh.  This is a place where we've shed buckets of summer sweat, celebrated at Bee Linked, and put our best before the Zion community.  The course itself isn't easy by any means--the rolling areas and deep grass can siphon seconds throughout the course, and there are a number of hard turns that stymie momentum.  Still, this is our home--I asked the runners today to come out and race at their best. 

One challenge this week is that we had a crazy amount of rain over the weekend that soaked up into the terrain.  Previously, the grass was short and nearly dead--to the point the maintenance crew would not be able to mow.  With the inches of water, however, the grass grew and the ground softened. I noticed this around the 2-mile mark, the pond, the finish stretch, and close to the west parking lot.  This likely added seconds and required additional effort, but the course still offered opportunities for those who ran it smart and chose to exploit them.  I painted a few smiley faces and a dangerous goose for the runners to use at reset and "go" points on the course.  Our Captains delivered a fantastic Thought of the Day, and we warmed up with a 5pm start time.

We faced off on the line against Lake Zurich, Warren, and Waukegan.  We were joined by Jarek here, and it was wonderful to see so many fans lining the course to cheer on the pack.  With the gun, our team rolled out hard and began assertively racing into solid positions.  As anticipated, LZ and Warren packed up in the first half and ran the thing progressively. Our guys went out to race together and catch their competitors.  Tristan took an early lead on our pack with a group of five LZ runners, and was looking great at the 1200m point. TJ, Noah C., and Xander were just behind him, with Braden racing as our fifth and Corey our 6th, with small groups of blue jerseys integrated between our racers. Corey was boxed in hard as he left the Leisure Center behind, and was followed by a solid start from Steven. Noah M. led a large group of six LZ athletes, followed closely by Caleb and Ethan, then quickly by Keegan who was having a great start to the race.  I was pleased to see Aydan, Steven G., and Hugo packed, Max  and Jimmy just behind them, and Micah just one position behind Jimmy.  Malik and Laderris led a large pack of runners, with Santiago holding on to the end of it and Ovier just behind.  We were off to a good start!

I caught them again at the midpoint, turning from Goose Poop Alley back into the woods.  Tristan was rolling with little trouble with six LZ runners now, tightly packed together and running an assertive pace.  TJ led two more and was racing at a great pace that looked akin to his strong Deerfield opener. Our men had strung out a little more by this point, with Noah C. our third still and Xander falling back about 30 meters but still holding as our fourth.  Corey raced well as our fifth, with nearly 100m between him and Braden. Noah M. had moved up and was just meters behind Braden, and Caleb equidistant.  Steven and Ethan were surrounded by four Warren guys who were slowly shifting upward, followed by Keegan.  Aydan was our next man here, followed soon by Jairo. Max was about 30m back, with ten competitors swarmed around him and Steven G. working hard to pull up into the mix.  Jimmy, Micah, and Hugo were now a pack and surrounded a Warren athlete.  They were soon followed by Laderris and DJ, then Malik and Santiago. Ovier was close to Santi and racing faster than I have ever seen him run!

​​We did a far better job with our finishes than we did a week ago--this growth was precisely what I was looking for tonight.  The course was overall a little slow, and even the top runner (Wiley from Warren) would not have cracked our Top Ten board.  Tristan D worked very well and placed fifth overall and was our first man through at 16:49.  He was followed by TJ, who raced a PR 17:04 that shaved 11 seconds off of his Deerfield time.  Noah C. was our third man with a gutsy race, just sliding under 18 at the 17:59 mark, followed by Xander (18:48), Noah M. (19:07), Caleb (19:20), and Corey (19:22) rounding out the top seven.  Ethan and Braden were next at 19:36 and 19:40 respectively, and Steven C. at 19:47.  Keegan was next, racing a huge 20:39 PR and passing five opponents with a mighty kick at the finish--this beat his standing PR from last year!  Aydan was next in at 21:10, dropping a huge 52 seconds from last week at Lake Forest!  Max was next in at 21:59, a 1s PR from Deerfield. Jairo dropped a major PR next, shaving 1:23 from his best at Lake Forest to run 22:09 and finish just after Max.  Micah surged in next to earn 22:33 with Jimmy right on his heels, racing 22:34 for a Season Best!

Steven G. was next at 23:19 and a nice kick into the chute, followed by Hugh at 23:33 and Laderris at 23:41. For Laderris this was a major 46s lifetime PR and a great celebration of his senior night. Malik contributed well to the PR momentum tonight, racing 23:46 and earning a 41s lifetime PR here!  Deleetre was next through at 23:49, followed a moment later by Santiago (24:53), Ovier (25:48), and David (29:47).  Ovier earned a 45s lifetime PR tonight with his great race, and David broke 30 for the first time, a 1:36 PR!  Congratulations, men!

I reflected as we went to celebrate our seniors, impressed by just how hard these young men had raced. The terrain was more challenging than anticipated, but they worked very hard and found some excellent rewards.  We had a total of nine lifetime PRs tonight and one Season Best, and the pack looked alive in their races. We greatly improved on the kicks as we had planned, and responded very well to the energy of the home crowd.  The senior recongition that followed was incredibly fun as well, and I am grateful to the many who have invested their time and enegy to this great team.  Congratulations, men, this was a nice night!
​

Lake Forest Quad 9.9.25

 Our first quad meet of the year was hosted at Lake Forest this week.  After enjoying a cool last week, temps moved upward into the high 70s today and day felt amazing. We approached the day with high hopes and lofty goals, knowing that LF is usually 1.) a little short but still considered 3 miles, and 2.) pretty flat.  We have packed the efforts of two tough races into our bodies in the last week, which understandably became a challenge later in the race.  Most importantly, the mindset of success was pervalent on the team today, with positive energy on the bus.  I shared the words of the late, great Al Carius, who passed away yesterday:  "RUN FOR FUN AND PERSONAL BESTS."  I hoped that this mindset would deliver fast times and the grit needed to compete against our conference teams today.

The men warmed up quickly as soon as we arrived, and the other teams were on time. We were to square off against LF, Warren, and Stevenson.  Lake Forest moved the start line back about 150 meters from its customary spot, actually making the course an even 3.0 instead of the 2.8+ we've seen some years.  Regardless, we looked sharp on the warm-up and the men were poised to race.  With the gun, the large field surged out and it was on!  

The first mile mark had moved north of the bridge with the course adjustment, so I saw the men when the were well through it.  TJ and T-Dunc were leading the Zee-Bee charge, with Noah C and Xander packed together not far behind them.  Braden raced in a gap between two Warren runners, with Noah M our next man, trailing a pair of LF athletes, and Corey was just behind him. Caleb was a short gap behind Corey and leading a large group of Stevenson runners, and Reilly made a move just after the bridge to close toward Caleb.  Ethan was our next man through the mile, followed moments later by Keegan.  About fifty meters back was Max, racing in good form, then our pack of Aydan, Steven G, and Hugo.  Just behind them, a second large pack had formed, with DJ leading Jairo, Micah, Jimmy, and Laderris.  Malik was next, leading Santiago in his first ZBXC race, packed nicely with Ovier.  We had gotten out really well and run an aggressive first mile.

The momentum of the first mile was largely lost in the second half.  It was apparent that--with a few exceptions of course--we had simply exhausted our legs.  The team was shooting for great goals, but things weren't fully coming together as expected. Still, nobody gave up in the competition today, and we pushed with everything we had to get through the finish line.  T-Dunc kicked to 9th place overall for 16:49, with TJ 13th at 17:19.  It was great to see both Noahs racing hard in close proximity, with Noah C finishing as our third man at 18:03 and Noah M our fourth at 18:19.  Braden capitalized on his great start to earn the day's first lifetime PR, racing 18:38 and breaking his Deerfield PR by 15s!  Xander was in next at 18:58, followed by Caleb (with a. foot injury) at 19:52, Reilly at 19:35, and Corey at 19:38.  Ethan kicked in at 20:13, followed by Keegan at 21:14--this was a Season Best for Keegan, dropping five seconds from his time at Lake County!  Aydan kicked hard on the long straightaway, finishing just 45s behind Keegan and earning a lifetime PR as well! His 23:03 dropped five seconds from Deerfield--congratulations to both these PR races!  I was excited to see Max working right next to Aydan right into the chute, earning a time of 22:03 as well, just three seconds off his lifetime best.

Our next Zee Bee pack stormed the final stretch, led by Micah (23:19) with Hugo (23:26), Jairo (23:32), and DJ (23:35) in fast succession.  For Jairo and Deleetre this was a lifetime PR race--Jairo dropped nine seconds from Lake County, and DJ beat his previous best set last season!  Congratulations to these men!

Jimmy led the next pack to the finish, charting 24:22 this evening.  Laderris (24:27- PR TIE!), Malik (24:29), and Santiago (24:21-PR) were close on his heels with great conclusions to their races.  Laderris tied his lifetime best from the three mile split at Rebel last weekend, and Malik's time records as a PR online but he split his three mile with Laderris last week. Santiago ran his first Cross Country race this evening after a solid week and a half of work since joining the team. I am so proud to see how he worked up with his teammates here, making a second half move that pushed through his comfort zone. Congratulations, guys!  The last man in our pack was Ovier, who raced and beat a Stevenson runner in the final stretch and earned a huge 26:33 finish. This is the largest Personal Record of the entire evening, 1:49 faster than his previous best, the three-mile split at Rebel last weekend. I am so proud to see this growth--and in such a short span of time.  Very nice work, Ovier!

We set some very big goals coming into the evening, and many guys left the field feeling like some of these were not fully realized.  The reality is that we had two hilly courses in our muscles within a week, and we didn't kick like we have been in practice. On the bus we celebrated the PRs and recognized some great moves, particularly the fast starts in mile 1 from the entire pack. We agreed that our kicks were lacking today, and made plans to work on sharpening. I ended with reiterating that I don't expect perfection every day, but I am looking for progress and growth. This was a positive learning course for us today, and I cannot wait to see what we do with a week before we race at home.

Rebel Invite 9.6.25

The second challenging race of the week was at UW-Parkside for the Rebel Invite. Just like the Waukegan course, it presents some elevations and many trails. It's not particularly spectator-friendly, but our power for today came from the pack racing we put together.  With a fantastically-cool morning and moderate cloud cover keeping the temps down, we journeyed north to Kenosha and the excellent challenge the lay in front of us.  There was some confusion when we arrived as to which routes the 4k and 5k courses would take, but we figured it out and got out walking. Those who had never been up here before marveled at the challenging hills in the first 1k, and we had an excellent Thought of the Day under the course's iconic oak tree.  We don't race 4k (Freshmen) or 5k distances at any other point this season, and I stressed that how we compete and score today is the measure of our success.  The energy and enthusiasm from our team leaders on the bus ride today went a long way to build confidence in our younger members and positively frame the races.

The freshmen men took the line first.  Max, Hugo, Jairo, and Ethan represented us in this race, and after a couple crisp strides they looked ready to compete.  From the cannon (they got it working after the women's race), they surged into action and across the field.  They gave us splits at the mile mark today, which was great--Coach Hamilton was also out there in the woods and reporting on the progress.  Ethan was 6th at the mile (6:14), with Hugo our second man at 7:21.  Jairo and Max were racing together at 7:26/7:28 here, and worked well on the downhill portion of mile two.  When I saw them again, Ethan had just edged up into fifth place, passing a runner right in front of me and using the flat straightaway to accelerate.  Hugo had a lot of space and reset here with the crowd's cheers, and Jairo and Maximo flew by in quick succession.  Max was in visible pain from the stomping he took at Art Campbell this week, but gamely worked into the finishing stretch.  Ethan finished first on our squad and fifth overall at 15:18, earning a medal!  Hugo had a great kick to finish at 18:04, followed by a speedy kick from Max (18:38) and Jairo (18:39).  While we didn't have enough men to achieve a team score, we made a great account of ourselves today in the freshman race.  Well done!

Our Varsity warmed up and took the line with a full squad of eight.  They exuded confidence that I loved to see when they took the line, and, while they were certainly feeling some pressure, they looked to each other as a source of strength.  Tristan Duncan was our first man through the midpoint after a 5:40 first mile, racing behind a large pack of LZ runners.  TJ was our second and racing well past the cheering crowd, logging 5:49 in the opening mile.  Noah C, Xander, and Noah M rounded out our top five, with Caleb right behind and leading a massive pack of competitors into the two-mile mark.  Corey was at the tail-end of this pack, followed closely by Braden.  We were looking pretty good here at the midpoint.  I moved over to the three-mile mark to get this split for our records, which was about 160m short of the finish.  

T-Dunc flew by as our leader, crossing the three at 17:07 and finishing 17th overall at 17:37 in the 5k.  TJ was next with a great kick, running 17:33 at the three and 18:07 overall.  Noah C earned our third spot (18:29/18:57), followed by Noah M, who threw down a great second-half surge to run 18:51/19:34.  Xander raced in as our fifth man (19:06/19:40), followed by Caleb (19:19/19:52), Corey (19:24/1958), and Braden (19:32/20:09) in quick succession.  We kicked well and competed hard in this race, and I was impressed by how they raced.  We placed 6th out of 11 full teams today with a 1-5 split of 89 seconds--14 seconds closer than last week!

Our final race was the JV/Open race, and we put a pack of seven men on the line.  They rolled out hard with the cannon and across the sunny field.  They looked fantastic as the field merged into a large pack and worked up the hills.  At the midpoint, Reilly was leading the squad, dropping a 6:31 first mile and leading a long line of competitors past the crowd.  Keegan was next, racing well on the flat after a robust 7:09, and Aydan closed from a long gap as our third man.  Micah rolled through well as our fouth here, followed a moment later by Laderris, Malik, and Ovier.  It was a good first half, and I eagerly awaited their arrival at the third mile mark.  

I didn't have long to wait.  Reilly held well as our first man, racing 20:55 past me and finishing at 21:35 in 30th place.  Keegan passed a Racine Park runner decisively here, passing the three mile at 21:54 and finishing 45th at 22:27.  Aydan kicked well as our third man (22:35/23:10), with Micah find an extra gear in the final 160 as well (22:50/23:25).  Malik caught up the Laderris and they powered through together for twin lifetime PRs at the three mile mark (24:27), both decisively beating their Deerfield times!  They finished at 25:01 (Malik) and 25:02 (Laderris).  Ovier set a nice PR at the 3-mile as well, racing 28:22 and finishing at 29:10.  The Bees finished 7th of 7 full teams.

We knew today was going to bee tough, and it most certainly lived up to the hype.  The hills took a lot of strength to conquer, but it also led to a common feeling of accomplishment.  I am so proud of the mindset today and the culture we are creating that values every man's hard work and finds positivity in adversity.  There were three lifetime PRs (wow!), a medal finish(!), and we kicked when we were most tired.  I truly believe that if we can conquer Parkside, we can conquer any course this season--and if we can conquer this heavy week, we can handle the pressure of hard races yet to come.  This was a fun Saturday, and I cannot wait to see where we take this experience as we head into our first Quad Meet next week at Lake Forest.  

Art Campbell/Lake  County 9.3.25

We had our first invitational on a Wednesday plagued with dynamic weather. From morning showers to the occasional downpour, we calmly declared that "all weather is Zee-Bee weather" and forged on with our goal of racing hard at the Waukegan Sports Park. This week, with Waukegan and Parkside, I don't intend to measure success through times--rather, we need to compete to the best of our abilities on these challenging courses in order to prepare for a peak at the end of October. The weather hovered around 62 degrees with strong cloud cover, as well as a zesty downpour just before we got on the bus. But we arrived at the course in great spirits and after a positive chat on the bus, and it was time to prepare.

We fielded Varsity and JV/Open squads today for the first time.  I asked the Varsity to pack together by the time they got to the trails, and to work hard on the downhill (channeling a little bit of Tony's downhill enthusiasm from a couple years back).  While I had to leave to teach evening classes as soon as the Varsity took off, I am grateful to Coaches Tolliver and Hamilton for directing the men and reporting back on their efforts.  This course is a tougher one than Deerfield last week, but an important one in forging our team. Tristan D was the first man through the chute, placing 46th overall at 17:21.  TJ was our second at 18:17, with Xander and Noah C. racing neck-and-neck into the finish--Xander narrowly edged Noah by a tenth of a second (18:40.6 and 18:40.7). Noah M. was our fifth scoring man at 19:04, followed by Corey (19:39), Braden (19:40), Ethan (19:52), and Caleb (20:30).  The Varsity Bees placed 12th out of 16 full teams.  Our 1-5 split was 1:43.

The final race is a particularly fun one--the massive JV/Open coed race!  From the gun, Keegan led the pack and maintained the team lead for the entire race.  He fought well for a 21:19 finish, a Season Best time by over a minute from his Deerfield debut.  He was followed by Aydan at 22:38, and Max at 23:18.  Unfortunately, I later learned, Max had fallen in the beginning and gotten trampled hard by other competitors, potentially bruising his ribs. He did get back up and raced the entire three miles with incredible resilience. Jimmy and Micah were next for the Bees, racing home together at 23:21 and 23:22 respectively.  Jimmy set his Season Best tonight through his first race, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with this in the next couple of weeks.

Jairo was next in for the Bees, racing our first PR of the night. He ran 23:41, dropping a massive 53s over his previous best at Deerfield--congratulations!  He was followed by Hugo at 23:54, and Deleetre at 24:20. For DJ this was a Season Best as well, 11s better than Deerfield; he also sustained a terrible allergic reaction and raced, like Max, through the unfortunate turn of events. Steven G rolled with a great kick for 24:28, followed by Laderris (25:17), Malik (25:41), and David (31:23). For David, this was a lifetime PR, beating his PR from last year by seven seconds!  The JV pack took 12th our of 13 full teams, beating Grayslake North tonight.

There is nothing easy about our sport, and there is nothing particularly easy about this course. The men came out and raced, and came back with a number of positive takeaways.  They kicked well and learned how to run on narrower trails--and important lesson to take into Parkside this upcoming Saturday.  They also found strength in running with each other, and gained invaluable insights into their own personal strengths. Again, a huge shout of to the coaching staff for managing the team tonight, and for the excellent photos.  I'm  looking forward to this weekend's race and how we translate tonight's experience into even greater racing. Nice job!

Deerfield   8.28.25

Before heading out for the season opener, I always look back at the last few years to recall how the ZBXC pack has raced, and recall the lessons of past races. 2024 was a huge event and the Bees cohesively came together to race in packs. I asked the current team to take this strategy and push to break up the inevitable Deerfield packs as they run it as a progressive workout. The day was a delightful 68 degrees with sun, capping off an amazing week of ideal weather. Most importantly, the energy on this race day was at a peak this week--the captains and seniors gave fantastic bus speeches and spoke about strategies and motivation. The sense of unity this created to dispel the pre-race jitters set an important tone tonight, and I have never coached a team this dedicated to each other on the first day!

We had the entire pack racing in the 3.0 mile race at 6:10pm against Deerfield and Grayslake North. We had plenty of time to warm up and stretch, and all the time we needed to pin on numbers and get the strides in. I appreciated this efficiency tonight--it seems like, despite our best efforts, we are always pressed for time. But tonight--we were 100% locked in.  When the gun went off, the pack surged forward with enthusiasm.  I challenged both Tristans to race together for the first mile, and they rolled through the first 800 in close proximity--and with Xander right on TJ's heels!  Both Noahs were breaking up a large Deerfield pack in the next group, with Corey leading Caleb and Reilly in the next bunch.  Ethan surged out quickly in his first race, packing with Steven C. Keegan led Max and Hugo, and then a massive ZeeBee pack consolidated: Steven G. leading Aydan, Malik, Laderris, Jairo, Micah, Ovier, and DJ.  This close packwork was a fantastic start!

I caught them again around the 1800m mark, where Dunc had surged forward decisively as the top Bee, right on the heels of a brace of Deerfield athletes and putting 50m on TJ.  Xander was enveloped by the top Deerfield pack and racing well as our #3, followed by Noah C, who was racing the strongest race I have ever seen from him.  Noah M looked great, just 20m behind him, and Caleb had made a great move to overtake Corey and Braden--these guys were rolling! Ethan moved up to trail just behind Reilly, with Steven about 150 back. Keegan put some great distance in the first mile as well, with Max hanging on 50m back in his first Cross Country race!  Hugo was next, with Micah, Aydan, and Steven G racing very well together.  DJ led Jairo, Malik, and Laderris--these guys were off to a great start.

The second mile is inevitably a tough one, and tougher still when Deerfield makes big pack moves. Our Bees responded admirably today. Micah, Hugo, Aydan, and Steven G. formed a great new pack in this mile, and while he was overtaken by the top Deer pack, Dunc found a gear to go with them.  TJ was racing well as our second with a lot of space, owing to him dropping the top Grayslake competitor by 40 meters. Xander raced up and stuck with a Deerfield runner, and Caleb opened a larger gap on the next Bees.  Braden and Reilly packed with Ethan, and it was on to the final mile!

Our finished were especially noteworthy tonight.  Coach Tolliver measured off the final 400m and reminded the team beforehand that we practice progressive 400s when tired every week, and this was where that training would come to our advantage.  

Tristan D surged in as our first man, leading the pack with a strong finish and 9th place overall finish against the large pack of Deerfield junior and seniors. He ran a lifetime PR 16:31, dropping 5 seconds from last year's!  TJ was next at 17:15, a 24s lifetime PR as well and a monster kick!  Xander held for our #3 finish at 17:48--this is a 2:08 PR from his massive sub-20 race at Conference last season!  Noah C was right on his heels, racing 17:52 for a 26s PR and first sub-18 race!  Noah M was just behind at 18:11 for a Season Best over his Bee Linked time, with Caleb surging in with a great kick and 18:25 finishing time (just 5s off his lifetime!).   Corey, Ethan, Braden, and Reilly rolled through in quick succession, Corey our #7 and decisively breaking his previous PR of 20:06 with an 18:47! Braden dropped 61s from his Bee Linked PR, racing 18:53; Ethan set his 3-mile PR with a huge 18:48 achievement. Reilly ran 19:01--2:28 faster than his Bee Linked time and a full ten minutes faster than his last XC race in 2022!  He was quickly followed by Steven C at 19:43, also just seconds away from his lifetime PR last year.

Max finished his first race with an excellent kick, setting his PR at 22:00. Aydan did the same at 22:08, followed quickly by Hugo (22:10), Micah (22:13), and Steven G (22:15). For Hugo, this was a massive 4:49 drop from his previous best at Bee Linked this last summer, and for Micah a first 3-mile PR!  Keegan finished next after and unfortunate, accidental detour coming back over the bridge that set him several minutes back.  Ovier, too, missed a crucial turn and came in too soon for the race.  Accidents happen!  DJ led the final pack to the finish with enthusiasm. He finished at 24:31, followed by Jairo's first XC race (24:34), Laderris (24:35), and Malik (24:36).  For Laderris this beat his previous Bee Linked time of 31:20, as did Malik!  Nice work!

This was an incredible evening. From the top runners to those at the other end of the pack, these men went out and competed together. I loved the packs in the first mile and how we evolved into the third mile for strong finishes.  We had five men run their first 3.0 XC race and set lifetime PRs. Ten more beat their previous bests as well, bring our PR count to 15 today!  For the summer runners, their hard work has just started to pay off handsomely.  Coupled with the fortitude in the race this evening, I can confidently say that this pack raised the bar over the 2024 success on this course!  The shout-outs on the bus continued all the way home, and I strongly believe that this team's energy, enthusiasm, and support for each other will make this an incredible season.  I'm so proud of this baseline we've now set for ourselves, and cannot wait to see where we go in the upcoming weeks!
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