Mount Vernon High School’s cross country team started on a high note, with sophomore Logan Eggert winning a national championship at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Houston Texas in August.
The school starts the season this year with 16 runners on the girl’s team and 12 on the boy’s, a slight increase from last year, girl’s coach Jennifer Bishop told the Mount Vernon News.
Pat Gray coaches the boy’s team.
“We’ve got a lot of athletes returning,” Bishop said. “We’ve got some great seniors on the team. They’re wonderful leaders. We were just talking about how much fun Coach Gray and I are having at practice with the kids. They are just such a positive group. It’s seems to be a close-knit team.”
Cross country meets are 3.1 miles, the equivalent of a 5-K.
“We’ve got a lot of freshman this year who haven’t run a race before,” Bishop said. “They’ve put in the miles all summer in practice. Every day, they are getting in several miles. They’ve done the work there.”
On Thursdays, the teams do a time-mile run.
“It’s done for them to see for themselves how they are doing on their times, how much progress they are making,” said Bishop.
Last year, one of the member of the girls team, Sophie Zoldak, made it all the way to the state meet.
“She will be a junior this year,” Bishop said. “On the girl’s team, we’ve got three seniors, but overall, we’re a younger team. Most everyone is a junior and down.”
The coaches hope running will become a life habit for the students, Bishop said. There are many benefits from participating in high school sports.
“Being physically active helps them in school,” said Bishop. ”The camaraderie on the team is big. No matter what their times are, they are all running a 5K and they are all completing it. Whether you are the first person on the team or the last person, you are doing the exact same practices.”
The regular season has eight meets; that doesn’t include postseason competition. It’s a regimen that could make the average runner’s routine seem mild.
“They have a race every Saturday from now until at least the third week of October,” Bishop said. “Depending on how people qualify for the postseason, it could go into the first week of November. They are definitely getting mileage in.”
They have the heat to cope with in the early part of the season and have to make sure they stay well hydrated. All the while, there is schoolwork to manage. Somewhere along the way, they have to make sure there is time to get enough sleep.
“They’re student-athletes, but they're students first,” said Bishop. “They need to take care of their health. They're putting in a lot of miles. They need to stay hydrated. They're burning a lot of calories. They definitely need to make sure they are getting enough fuel and taking care of themselves.”
Bishop, an Ohio native who teaches French, was a cross country runner for three years in high school.
“It was such a positive experience,” she said. “It helped me manage my time. You always have that teammate who can help you out.”
Bishop switched to rowing in college, but running remains close to her heart.
“ It’s something you can do safely by yourself or with friends,” she said. “It’s good to have that outlet.”
Meanwhile, Fredericktown has also been a cross-country powerhouse, with the boy's team finishing ninth at the state meet last year. Runner Thomas Caputo was last year's Division 3 state champion. Four of the top runners last year were seniors, but the team is still hoping for a strong season this year. The lineup will include three seniors: Xavier Platt, Xavier Comer and Silas Hoam.
" All of these upperclassmen gained experience last year and are excited to lead the 2021 addition of Fredericktown cross country," coach Bob Geiger told the Mount Vernon News. "They will be joined by a very talented group of freshman and sophomores, all of whom are ready to jump to the varsity level."
The Fredericktown girls team also qualified for the state meet last year, finishing 20th. This year's team will have veterans, including junior Elsa Hoam, who qualified for the state meet last year, as well as talented newcomers.
"Both the boys and girls have high expectations for the upcoming season and are definitely looking forward to the fall," said Geiger.
