Titan XC Update - Oct 18, 2012

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
    The Utah State Cross Country Championships are always an incredible show.  1000's of parents, supporters and fans flock the course creating something that looks like a moving mosh pit.  Over 1000 athletes toe the starting line, ready to show that their sacrifices and commitments have not gone for naught.  By the end of the day, most can exit the stadium feeling very good about what they have accomplished.  The 14 Titans who competed, as well as the rest of the TEAM who supported, should have left the stadium satisfied that the months of commitment, training and sacrifice have been worthwhile.  Some may have fallen a little short of some lofty goals, but for the goal of giving a 100% effort, the Titans were 14 for 14.  You can’t improve on that.
    Going into the meet, we realistically hoped for a couple top-10 finishes.  The Lady Titans got things going in grand fashion with a 7th-place finish.  The race got off to an extremely fast start and the Lady Titans were probably a little further back than ideal.  However, they steadily moved up throughout the race and finished strong.  Sharlie Dimick and Bella Williams ran together throughout the race- in fact probably could have just given them one uniform- and finished in the 24th and 25th spots.  They were both timed in 19:43 over the 3.0 mile course.  Those are the #5 and #6 times run by a Lady Titan at State.  Erin Kibler passed several runners over the last 300 meters to finish 42nd in 20:55, achieving her goal of running a sub-21-minute race.  The scene at the finish was a memorable one.  Mallory Ashby had a great race to finish 64th in 21:44.  Adriana McFarland and Maddy Neyts stayed together and ran tough for the entire race finishing 76th and 77th in 22:14 and 22:15.  And in a performance that brought a tear to the eye of the old coach (though he won’t acknowledge it- that’s why he wears sunglasses), Katelyn Davidson ran great to finish 86th in 22:42. 
    The Boys race also got off to a fast start and the Titans again had some ground to make up.  They all ran the 2nd-mile tough and got into the position to “race” with a mile to go.  As has been the case all year, Landon Greenhalgh finished #1 for us in 19th place.  That will make him Third-Team All-State.  His time of 16:19 was the #3 mark run by a Titan on the state course.  Not a bad way to end an XC career for someone who came into the school thinking they were a sprinter.  Parker Greenhalgh and Cody Kelley finished next in 58th and 59th, running 17:27 and 17:28.  The run by Parker was incredible considering the problems he had at region.  Just finishing on his feet would have been good- finishing as our #2 man was great.  And Cody’s performance showed what hard work and 2000 miles in a year can do.  Carson Andreason passed several over the last mile to finish 61st in 17:29, just behind Parker and Cody.  Tom Hill, our only 4-year veteran, completed a great cross country career placing 69th in 17:39.  At the start of the summer, I’m sure that Tom’s goals were not to finish as our #5 runner at State.  Injuries hampered his efforts to reach some more lofty individual goals.  However, his hard work and leadership helped the TEAM achieve a higher level of success that would have been possible without his efforts.  Ryan Andreason (98th, 18:40) and Nate Seffker (99th, 18:43) ran strong races in their first State efforts to round out the scoring. 
    Cross Country is an incredible sport.  It enables every participant the opportunity to reach a level of success as measured by their own standards.  By any standards, Wednesday was a great day for the Titans.  Coaches, athletes, parents and supporters should feel proud of the efforts over the last several months.  There is good news in that we return nine of the 14 athletes who competed at State.  The bad news is that we lose five great seniors who ran at State and five other seniors that were a big part of our success.
    Complete results of all State Championship races can be found at: www.runnercard.com. 

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
    Not really Athletes of the Week in the race performance sense, but in perseverance.  Lindsey Bailey, Sam Segura, Rachel Markham, Kayla Berryman and Aubrie Jacobsen have been amazing in continuing to show up everyday, support the TEAM, and cross train even though they have been injured and unable to compete for most of the season.  They have made a difference!

SATURDAY RUN
    DON’T STOP NOW!!  Coach Wilcox is putting together a run/breakfast on Antelope Island Saturday.  Meet at the Bridger Bay campground at 8:30 am or at the entry gate to the causeway a little after 8:00 to car pool and save some gas and money.  If you are going, check with Coach Wilcox to see what you can bring to help out with the breakfast.

THANKS
    Monday was another fun evening with the Neyt’s hosting our pre-state dinner.  The food was great and the video (thanks, Stacy) was outstanding. 

TUESDAY
    We will meet Tuesday, October 23rd after school to watch State videos and turn in uniforms.  We will, of course, follow that with a run.  If EVERYONE on the TEAM turns in their uniform at that time, I will foot the bill for all athletes’ banquet cost. 

BANQUET
    We are looking at November 13th, 14th, or 15th for our banquet.  Let me know ASAP of any major conflicts that would necessitate us picking one date over the others.  The banquet will be for all athletes and their parents. 

FOOT LOCKER TRAINING
    Everyone should continue to work out even though the season is over.  Everyone going to Foot Locker MUST continue to train.  We will meet in the hallway between the gyms and take off from there.  No more long speeches from the old.

Titan XC Update - Oct 14, 2012

OFF TO STATE!!!
    One of the main goals for the 2012 Cross Country season was to get both Boys and Girls TEAMS qualified for State.  After 1000's of miles, hundreds sacrifices, and hard work from many committed Titans, that goal was met.  Now it’s on to the State Championships to put some “icing on the cake”.  Saturday’s workout was a good way to cap off 4 ½ months of training: a moderate hill workout on the trails.  The colorful fall leaves, perfect temperature and a mist in the air was as perfect as it gets.  Wednesday should be the same.

REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
    Near perfect running weather helped make 3-mile PR’s very abundant Wednesday at Layton Commons Park.  Of course it also helped that most Titans had put in a great deal of hard work over the last 11 months. 
    In the Girls JV race, Madison Wilcox, running her first race of the year, paced the Lady Titans to a 2nd-place finish.  Her time of 22:02 was good enough to place 8th among scoring finishers.  Close behind, running big PR’s, were Jessica Howes (10th, 22:44) and Lauren Busby (11th, 22:56).  Becca Jacobsen (12th, 23:26) and Katelyn Egbert (16th, 24:15) also ran very well to pace the 2nd place finish.  It was great to see Rachel Markham and Aubrie Jacobsen run a race after spending several weeks cross-training due to injuries.
    In the Boys JV race, Jared Seffker was the top Titan finisher as he ran 19:01 to place 20th among the scoring athletes.  Brandon Read (23rd, 19:10), Tanner Robb (24th, 19:10), Jared Godfrey (25th, 19:22), and Austin Egbert (27th, 19:53) also ran strong races to pace the Titans to a 4th-place finish. 
    Great performances from all of the Lady Titans resulted in a 2nd-place finish behind nationally ranked Davis.  Bella Williams continued her great running as she finished 11th running 19:15.  That is the #2 mark ever run by a Lady Titan on the Region course.  It was one-second faster than her sister, Hannah.  Sharlie Dimick also ran tough placing 12th in 19:30.  Her time was the #5 mark ever run by a Lady Titan.  She also has the #1 mark from her 2010 performance.  Erin Kibler ran a steady race to place 16th in 20:49.  Mallory Ashby continued her late-season charge with a huge PR of 21:10 to finish 19th.   The tight “pack” of Katrina Dunlap (21:36), Adriana McFarland (21:37) and Maddy Neyts (21:39) finished in the 22-24 spots to nail down the four-point margin over Weber for the second place TEAM finish.  Katelyn Davidson ran a very good race as a non-scoring athlete finishing in 22:27.  A 4th-place finish and a trip to state would have been nice.  A 2nd-place finish was much better!!
    The Boys Varsity had a lot more drama than the Girls race.  Going into the meet, it was pretty much a “given” that Davis and Weber would occupy the top two places.  The “real” race would be for the final two spots.  At the about the half-way point, the Titans were a distant 5th place.  Our normal #2 runner, Parker Greenhalgh, was struggling near the back.  “The lights were on, but nobody was home”.  The last half of the race was incredible as the Titans kept moving up, and somehow, Parker staggered to the line as our #5 runner.  The Titans had finished 3rd, eight points in front of Fremont and nine ahead of Northridge.  Landon Greenhalgh ran his best race of the year to place 6th in 16:01.  That is the fastest time ever run by a Titan on the Region course.  Tom Hill and Cody Kelley moved up nicely over the last mile to place 17th and 18th in 17:06 and 17:08.  Carsen Andreason’s 17:26 was good enough to place 22nd.  Parker stayed on his feet long enough to finish 32nd in 17:58.  Ryan Andreason (33rd, 17:59) and Nathan Seffker (36th, 18:25) ran well to help the Titans advance to State.
    Following the race, there were some anxious moments as Parker looked like he was ready to be used as a cadaver for Mr. Anderson’s Medical Anatomy class.  Medical evaluations are continuing.  He’s OK, but may not be available for duty as a runner at State.  If he can’t run, we’ll have him stand and flex along side Davis’ statue and kick his butt in a “pose down”. 
    Great job by everyone at the meet, not just as competitors.  Thanks to everyone who supported, helped out, and made the Region Championships successful.
    Complete results can be found at:
http://regiononetrack.blogspot.com/

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
    Selected as the Athletes of the Week were Sharlie Dimick, Lauren Busby, Jaycie Smith, Jared Godfrey Ryan Andreason, and Nate Seffker.  Sharlie is turning in her best races at just the right time.  Ryan and Nate have been running tough races as our #6 and #7 finishers.  Lauren, Jaycie and Jared have been solid for us all year in workouts as well as the meets.

THANKS
    Thanks to the Davidson’s and Neyt’s for allowing us to invade your homes for our pre-region and pre-state TEAM dinners. 

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
    You will be excused at 11:15 for State with the bus leaving at 11:30.  The race schedule will be as follows:
2:00 - Girls 5A
3:30 - Boys 5A
4:15 - Awards in Stadium

FOOTLOCKER WAIVER/DEPOSIT DUE
    Reminder of the due date for the Foot Locker Waiver and $100 deposit: Tuesday, October 16th.  After that date I will open up all remaining seats to Fremont and Weber athletes. 

SUPER HERO RACE
    I’ve attached information about a race being held October 27th at Jensen Park.  It’s to help raise money for a girl waiting for a bone marrow transplant.  Might be a good way to get in a race preparing for Foot Locker.
   
ALUMNI UPDATE
    Jake Rossmango had a great race and finished as TCU’s #2 runner at the Chile Pepper Festival in Arkansas.  His time was 33:33 for the 10k course.  Hannah Williams was USU’s #4 runner at the Pre-National race held in Louisville, KY.  She ran 22:29 over the 6k course.  Jared Ward (we’re still claiming him) was BYU’s #1 runner at the Wisconsin Invitational.  The meet featured most of the top runners in the nation.  He finished 8th overall running 23:22 for 8k.  Six of the seven finishing ahead of him were foreigners. 

UPCOMING DATES
Oct 16 - Foot Locker Deposit and Waiver Due
Oct 17 - State Championships @ Sugarhouse Park - 2:00/3:30 pm



   

Titan XC Update - Oct 7, 2012

IT’S HERE!!!
    For those who were in attendance at our first meeting in May, I’m sure you felt like the Region Cross Country Championship was a long ways off.  Well, it’s here now.  For many of you, the focus of your training has been directed towards the race this Wednesday.  And for some, that focus may have started after last year’s Region or State Cross Country meets.  There is reason to have a great deal of confidence as we make our final preparations.  As a TEAM (there are, of course, some exceptions) we are as healthy as we have been all year.  Our last two Saturday workouts have been the best of the year.  AND, our last two meets have also been our best overall performances- SO FAR!!  Now, let’s keep these trends going for two more weeks.

OPEN REGION @ DAVIS
    All of the Region One schools met at Barnes Park and ran at full strength.  In both Boys and Girls, Davis won and was followed by Weber, then the Titans.  There were some very good performances over the 3.0 mile course.
    Bella Williams led the Girls as she ran her best race of the year finishing 10th in 19:47.  Sharlie Dimick was right behind running 20:05 to place 12th.  Erin Kibler was14th in 20:45.  Mallory Ashby (17th, 21:36) and Adriana McFarland (18th, 21:42) had their best races of the year to round out our top five.  Katrina Dunlap (21st, 21:56) and Maddy Neyts (25th, 22:03) ran very well and finished ahead of Weber’s 6th and 7th runners.  This type of finish could be big at Region.
    Landon Greenhalgh ran a controlled race to place 7th overall running 16:22.  Parker Greenhalgh was next finishing 13th in 17:03.  Carsen Andreason ran his best race of the year finishing strong over the last mile to place 20th in 17:19.  He was just ahead of Cody Kelley (21st, 17:20) and Tom Hill (21st, 17:21).  Ryan Andreason (32nd, 18:20) and Nate Seffker (36th, 18:25) rounded out the top seven.  In the JV race, Tyler (“killer”) Fessler ran very tough to place 10th in 18:38.  
    Complete results can be found at: http://regiononetrack.blogspot.com/
    Again, our splits were pretty good, but we still need to tighten things up between #1 and #7 Wednesday to ensure that we make it to State.

INJURIES/PERSEVERANCE
    As the season winds down, it is obvious that we have had more than our share of injuries.  Some have been able to overcome their injuries and get back into competition.  A few others have not been able to recover in time to compete and help the TEAM.  Thanks to those athletes who have done everything possible to get back, even though they may not have healed in time to compete.  Each of you has been part of our success, inspiring others with your determination.  THANKS!!

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
    Selected as the Athletes of the Week were Jessica Howes, Adriana McFarland, Tyler Fessler, and Carsen Andreason, Jessica keeps working hard as a senior leader making the entire TEAM better.  Adriana has really come on strong and is a key to our success.  Tyler and Carsen are doing a great job as sophomores and not only make it look good for the future, but also the present. 

ST. GEORGE MARATHON
    Congrats to our coaches for some great performances at the St. George Marathon.  Coach Wilcox ran 3:23.51 and Coach Busby 3:41.30.  This was a good “tuneup” for the Boston Marathon in April (hopefully).  AND, Stacy Wilcox broke the 4-hour barrier running 3:57.56.  I would say she took the most steps for anyone running under 4-hours.  Great job by the Titan family.  There were others running- I couldn’t find them in the results.

ALUMNI UPDATE
    Jaxon Hansen (19:49) and Brandon Yardley (20:32) ran well for UVU at the Color Country Invitational at SUU.  The course was 6000 meters.  One I missed from last week:  Jake Rossmango finished as TCU’s #4 runner at the Cowboy Jamboree at Oklahoma State.

REGION ONE CHAMPIONSHIPS
    You will be excused at 1:30 for Region with the bus leaving at 1:45.  The race schedule will be as follows:
3:00 - Girls JV
3:30 - Boys JV
4:00 - Girls Varsity
4:30 - Boys Varsity
5:15 - Awards in Kenley Amphitheater
     We want EVERYONE there for the awards- no one leaves early.

UPCOMING DATES
Oct 10 - Region Championships @ Layton Park - 3:00 pm
Oct 17 - State Championships @ Sugarhouse Park - 2:00/3:30 pm