2024 Campus Invite

test Run #2

I'll let you in on a secret; our course is awesome. It allows spectators to actually watch a cross country race and see how it changes throughout the competition.

This being the first year of the early season Campus Invite, it was very small, and we expect it to grow. We appreciate Milan and AAHuron for joining us.

Coach Stern and I have a long-term goal of our course being able to host a medium-sized invite and a MHSAA Regional Championship in the next several years. Thursday's invite was a chance for us to test out that idea.

Winning matters

...and Thursday's champion was Jake Szalay. And when a kid wins a race, we like to make a big deal of it.

Jake didn't have a great time trial on Friday, but he kept his wits. A few days later, he's figured out some things and ran about 90 seconds faster than he did late last week.

Happy to Race

Here's Saman and Carlos without tortured looks on their faces as they finish. One of our goals is taking time to enjoy racing well. It doesn't feel great to race 5k, but these two kids are enjoying the effort and their success.

Tell me that doesn't translate into faster racing later in the season.

who are those guys?

XC World, say hello to Wes Rogan and James Gage.

Both are freshmen and both had their first high school finish on Thursday morning. You may not know them, but your probably recognize their last names. These two come from legacy XC families, each with older sisters and parents that have been big contributors to our program's success.

On Thursday, Rogan finished 3rd and Gage took 11th.

Most improved

Jake Ragatz and Ray Jenkins are two of the most improved runners from Friday night to Thursday morning. Together, they dropped a shared total of about 7 minutes!

In a few words...

The first official race of the season and the first invite on the new course were both modest starts to things we hope to see become great things. Most importantly, Thursday's race showed several of our athletes bounced back from rough races at Friday's time trial.

Also, a HUGE thank you to every parent that made sure their son was on time! Every kid was at the barn before 9:00 a.m. It makes our job sooooooo much easier. Thanks!

What's next?

Tuesday's Milan Puddle Jumper will be our next test. The larger field will give all of our runners plenty of people to race. The course is similar to ours in that it's flat and easy to view.

Busing may be an issue Tuesday. Although early signs are positive, getting a bus at dismissal time is not an easy task.

Page updated

Report abuse