Path to the Podium: Decatur Boys, by Andy Christie
Looking at State Results is interesting enough, for us fans of high school cross country. However, finding out what it took for teams to reach that point makes those places and point totals that much more fascinating.
Making the podium (top 4) as a team and earning a State trophy is the goal for many teams when they start preparing for XC after Track ends. Whether it is the thrill of a program making it for the first time, the pride of keeping a tradition alive, or the exhilaration of a return to the top after an absence, climbing the stairs to the podium is the dream of harriers hoping to end their season on a high note.
We've asked coaches to reflect on what it took to get their team to the podium at the 2021 Georgia State Cross Country Meet. Next up is Coach Mary Souther of Decatur, to talk about her boy's Class AAAAA State Championship.
XC2020
any seniors that set a good example or laid the foundation?The team last year was led by Eoin McNally and Ethan Yankovich, both of whom were incredibly motivated and hard working. They had both been setting the example for the team for four years.
any results that gave motivation (good or bad)
Well, losing the State championship by 2 points was a hard lesson to learn. We all did a lot of reflection over what could have been done differently, and the boys came in this season determined that it wouldn't happen again!
Winter 2020
Anyone that stepped up their training with XC already in mind
I think our kids do a great job of knowing their goals and focusing on them. Going into the Track season, they really wanted to focus on that. Many of the boys prefer Track to Cross Country anyway, so they were really laser focused on that season.
mindset of the non-seniors
They were excited about our potential, knowing that we were only losing two seniors and determined to make up those two points.
any setbacks/challenges that had to be overcome?
Billy Carlton struggled with some injuries during the XC season, but was able to get in great shape for Track.
Track 2021
anyone that had a breakout season, or new additions, that changed the outlook of XC
Billy discovered his love of the steeplechase, which I always see as directly related to Cross Country!
Several of the #8 and up boys decided to run track in the spring in order to better prepare for the next Cross Country season and we really saw a difference from that training. (Many of them had played other sports or taken spring off before that.)
anyone that was already expected to contribute, but still had a good season
We expected great things out of our 4x800 and 4x1600 team and they delivered. Taking the 4x1600 guys to Nike Nationals in Oregon was an incredible experience.
Summer 2021
any new additions that changed the outlook for XC
Our most exciting addition was Sam Corso. We knew he was coming (he'd been outstanding in middle school) but it's always an unknown when a freshman starts training with the higher mileage of the high school team.
early goals for the season
We knew going in that a State Championship was our goal. With that in mind, we were careful not to race the top guys too early in the season and watched out for injuries and overuse.
how the team handled summer training
our varsity guys are great about summer training.
We gave them personalized plans and they worked hard to keep up with them.
any setbacks/challenges that had to be overcome?
The challenge with some of them is holding them back from going too fast and too hard in the summer. It's a hard lesson for some of them to learn that if you go out hard too early, you will peak too early. In the summer faster doesn't equal better! We took four of the varsity to Eugene in July to race on the track, so we had to be careful what we asked of them.
Season 2021
anyone that had a breakout season that changed the outlook
Zak Abdulahi and Noah Ellis really came through for us. They kept working hard all season and they peaked when they needed to! Zak especially made the difference between a very good team and a great team at the end of the season.
how early results compared to any goals
As mentioned before, we were careful not to race many of the varsity too early. So while everyone knew we had a good team going into the season, I don't think it was obvious at all the meets.
any revisions of goals?
Nope. State was out goal all along. Laser focused.
any setbacks/challenges that had to be overcome?
Some of the guys we were counting on ended up injured or peaking too early. Luckily we were deep enough that it ended up ok.
in hindsight, key moments of the season that led to the State result
Honestly, I don't think I can point to one moment. We had a goal and we worked toward it steadily.