Freshman/Newcomer Information

1) Who are the coaches?
Head Coach - Mike Minning (mminning@llhs.org)
- Head girls' and boys' coach since 2025
- Assisted girls' and boys' programs in 2024
- Helped guide girls to second straight Capitol North Conference championship in 2024 with  five girls receiving all-conference honors
- Helped guide  two boys to 2024 all-conference recognition at Capitol North Conference championships

Assistant Coach - Emily Muir (emuir@llhs.org)
- Assistant girls' and boys' coach since 2024
- Previously coached basketball and soccer at Evergreen Lutheran HS
- Active cross-fit competitor and coach
- Brings wealth of knowledge into holistic strength and conditioning for well-rounded athletes

Assistant Coach - Markus Rupnow (mrupnow@llhs.org)
- Assistant girls' and boys' coach since 2025
- Graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College with major in secondary social studies and minor in history
- Competed on both cross country and track and field programs at Gustavus Adolphus with a personal best of 1:56.00 in the 800 meter run
- Teaches social studies and physical education at Lakeside

2) What are the teams?
Varsity and JV
- Varsity and JV athletes train together
- Boys and girls practice together throughout the week
- Varsity is usually the top-seven runners; JV entries are unlimited
- Usually a total of 15-20 boys and 15-20 girls on the rosters

3) What are practices like?
- 3:25-3:30 - Announcements and workout description
- 3:30-3:45 - Dynamic warmup
- 3:45-5:00 - Distance run or quality (high intensity) workout (1-2x per week)
- 5:00-5:30 - Weight room/strength work (2x per week), post-run stretch

4) How much do I run at practice?
- Coaching staff will cater this to individual ability levels
- Much of this depends on experience levels and offseason/summer running
- Most beginners without much experience will start at 2-3 miles per day
- By the end of the season, most athletes are running 4-6 miles per day

5) How fast do we run at practice?
- This largely depends on incoming experience levels and ability
- Easy runs: ~7:00-7:15 pace (experienced boys); 7:30-7:45 pace (boys' newcomers); 8:15-8:30 pace (experienced girls); 9:00 pace (girls' newcomers)
- Quality workouts: differs based on workout and athlete fitness; most will be slightly slower to slightly faster than 5k race pace
- All athletes will be put into training groups based on ability and experience

6) How many competitions do we run?
- Anywhere between 7-9 meets per season
- Generally 1 competition per week
- All athletes compete at each meet except for the WIAA Sectional and State Championships

7) What are cross country meets like?
- Anywhere between 8-20 teams compete at most meets (some larger, some smaller)
- Most are on Saturday mornings (some Thursday afternoons)
- Most meets have 4 races (varsity girls, varsity boys, JV girls, JV boys)
- All runners race the 5k distance (3.1 miles)
- Each race usually has ~50-100 runners (some larger, some smaller)

8) How do we get to the meets?
- A Lakeside bus will transport athletes to each meet
- Parents taking athletes to meets separately must contact coaching staff in advance
- Parents may take athletes home after meets are completed (coaches will have sign-out sheet)

9) What kind of equipment and clothing do I need?
- Shoes, shorts and t-shirt for the warmer days; long-sleeved t-shirt or sweatshirt and gloves for cooler days
- Running shoes are absolutely essential and should last a whole season; some athletes also get racing shoes
- Visit this link for further information on shoes and other equipment

10) When does practice begin?
- The first day of official practice is Monday, August 18 from 3:25-5:30 p.m.
- Most practices will begin at 3:25 p.m. and conclude at 5:15 p.m., but sometimes go until 5:30 p.m. Athletes will be ready for pick-up at 5:45 p.m.
- There may be occasional 6:00 a.m. practices that are shorter (done by 7:15 a.m.) to clear up the weekend after Thursday meets.

11) Where do we run our practices?
- Most practices will be on the roads near Lakeside and on the Glacial Drumlin Trail
- We may on occasion practice at an area park (Korth, Wallace) or even the beach!

12) Can freshmen and newcomers make the varsity team?
- Absolutely! The fastest 7 runners compete on the varsity roster at most meets (sometimes 8)
- The roster can change from week to week
- Most years, 1 or 2 freshmen will compete on the varsity roster

13) Do we practice or race in the rain and cold?
- Yes. :) Practices and races are "rain or shine" - it makes us tough and ready to run in anything (heat, cold, wind, rain, mud, etc.!)
- We will not run in severe weather or lightning - coaching staff will monitor for practices; race hosts will communicate about races
- Always check the forecast - especially when the weather gets colder late in the season

14) When should I approach a coach with a question or concern?
- Before or after practice
- Race time is not ideal for approaching coaches with concerns
- In the evenings, e-mail (causen@llhs.org) or call/text at 262-844-3832
- It is best for athletes to come to coaches first with questions or concerns

15) Is cross country fun?
- Absolutely! It is a hard sport that has difficult days, but we have to make it fun.
- Team dinners, morning practices/breakfasts, cookouts, ultimate frisbee offer great chances to bond
- Doing hard things together while building team unity create lasting memories and friendships!
- The team meets and trains together throughout the year (plenty of summer and winter activities!)

16) What else do I need to know before the season?
- Complete all eligibility forms in advance of the official start of the season
- Start running now and keep running
- Join your teammates for summer runs and activities - we will meet at Lakeside
- Call/text Coach Ausen or e-mail with any questions!