XC Update- August 17

DART CHALLENGE:
The Dart Challenge 5k Road Race was a good event for the Titans. It was also a fun event for the old coach. Many Davis alumni came back to run the race- it was great to see them return. Some of them had run the first Dart Challenge in 1992. That is one of the great things about this sport: you can stay involved as long as you want- and as long as the hamstrings hold out.
Abby Rich (21:25), McKayla Williams (21:27) and Hannah Williams (21:28) finished close together placing 14th -16th. They were closely followed by Aubrey Eddy, who placed 24th running 24:17. None of them felt too great about their races, BUT, in comparison to the race on the 4th of July, Abby improved by 46 seconds, McKayla by 35, Hannah by 1:15, and Aubrey by a whopping 2:17. Now, that’s improvement- and it will continue!!

For the boys, Preston Williams was our top finisher placing 24th in 20:34. Nick Hilton ran his first 5k ever and finished 38th in 21:53. Steve Wilcox was 41st in 23:04- he had to throw up during the race, which is not a real advantage. Michael Wade’s debut 5k resulted in a 24:35 finish. He misjudged the finish which cost him quite a bit of time. Clayton Bergloff ran 26:59- slower than what he was shooting for, but his times will drop as he continues to work hard.
The complete results can be found at: www.darttrack.blogspot.com.

WORKOUT SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK:
Monday- Meet at Fernwood Campground at 7:00 am, or at the Syracuse Wal Mart at 6:30 am if you need a ride.
Tuesday- Meet at Steed Park in Clearfield at 7:00 pm.
Wednesday- 4-6 mile training run on your own.
Thursday- Meet at Jensen Park in Syracuse at 7:00 pm.
Friday- 4-6 mile training run on your own.
Saturday- At this time, I do not plan on running the Grass Relays at American Fork. Several reasons, the biggest ones include no uniforms, eligibility not completed, not a full TEAM, etc. If we can get things taken care of in time, plans may change at the last minute. I am going to try to find a local road race to run if we don’t go to the Grass Relays. If there isn’t one, we will have a TEAM run- possibly at Mueller Park in Bountiful or the Mt. Ogden trails around Weber State. Both are beautiful trail runs. If that ends up the alternative, I will treat everyone to breakfast after the run.

IMPORTANT ITEMS:
Eligibility: Before you can be issued a uniform or run in a school-sponsored meet, you must have a physical on file at Syracuse (must be on a Form A, which I have at every workout), have paid your District Fee (in the office- I think it’s $35 this year), and had your eligibility cleared in the office. Please get this done ASAP.
Workouts: On the days when we don’t meet and when you can’t make it to the TEAM workouts, try to follow the workout schedule as closely as possible. The big key to your future success in this great sport is to be consistent in following the workouts.
XC Notebook (Bible): Many of you have copies. I have more made up now for the rest of you. Read a little of it now and then. There are many things included that can help you come closer to reaching your potential.

THANKS:
I want to thank each of you that are getting involved with the Syracuse XC TEAM. Of course the obvious goal is to become as competitive as possible in our region and state meets. However, the more important goal is build a program that will create opportunities for each and every one of you to grow and progress no matter how fast you run or where you place. I love this sport and have seen 100's of examples of personal growth that have resulted from a commitment to become the best athlete/person possible. In my 30+ years of coaching Cross Country and Track, I’ve never had an athlete tell me they regretted getting involved, working hard or being committed. I have had many tell me they regretted NOT being dedicated and NOT working hard to reach their potential. I hope when you look back, many years from now, you will have NO REGRETS!!!