A Team of Heroes

This cross country season has been so great that I don’t want to end. So I’m extending my senior campaign by entering the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional. I race on this coming Sunday in Terre Haute, Indiana against the best runners from Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.

Patrick Callahan joined me for my mile warm-up. He and some of the other runners are starting on their winter training with 20 minute jogs. Rob used his work break to join me for my 60 minute run. We went out and back east on Ladue. The weather was great: low 70s, so different from Saturday and all the layers we were wearing in the morning.

It was a great run. We a lot talked State Meet and the season as a whole. We then moved on to track season and next year’s cross country team. It was nice to look back and reflect with Rob. So much fun and tons of awesome memories. In discussing, we talked about all the heroes the Varsity team had this year:

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Jacob Seiler—His senior leadership was central to the team’s success. He led the pack on and off the course. Everyone could always count on Jacob to be on pace and run with everything he had. He used his experience to guide the young, unproven pack. Without him, the pack, which was the strength of this team, would have been lost. Jacob was also able to balance fun and hard work leading to memorable, effective practices. Jacob Seiler, hero.

Alex Potter—He was an extremely important part of the team despite never lining up in the box with us. Even though he was sidelined with back issues, he still gave everything he had to this team. Whether he was taking splits, helping the coaches, giving encouragement, or taking care of us, Alex was always there. The days he did run with us were some of the best days of the season. The team was infected by his attitude & presence, and we would have been vastly different without him. Alex Potter, hero.

John Madey—He truly was a bulldog, battling all 5,000 meters every week. He came back after over a year and a half away from running to be the crucial 5 man. I can’t bear to think about where we’d be if JC didn’t return. His racing was selfless as he always went out with the pack to help the team and then did his best to hang on and stay close in the last mile. Also, he was much more than the 5th man. He had a great attitude and presence all year long, and he added a lot to the team. John Madey, hero.

Brian Scherping—He had a great rookie season, earning a varsity spot after playing 3 years of soccer. It was well deserved recognition for his hard work. We liked to joke about how he always had questions, but that just showed his commitment to improving, and he improved a lot. Brian’s greatest value was in his character. He brought a goofy, fun-loving attitude to the team that kept us relaxed and made the year a lot fun. There would have been a notable difference if he remained on the soccer team. Brian Scherping, hero.

Matt O’Connor—He bounced back in a big way after an injury ridden sophomore season. Instead of being discouraged by last year he worked hard and was able to meet the high expectations that were placed on him at the beginning of this year. Matt did more than score in every race; he was an integral part of the team’s chemistry. Often his attitude was absorbed by the rest of the varsity. A good day for Matt meant a good day for the whole team. Matt O’Connor, hero.

Nick Martini—He quickly fit in with the rest of the Varsity guys, and he was huge part of the team this year, scoring in every race. His biggest performance was Sectionals. He ran a great race, qualified for State as an individual, but more importantly raced for his teammates. His 18th place finish was key in securing DeSmet’s 16th straight appearance at the State Meet. Nick stepped up when it mattered most. Nick Martini, hero.

John Waller—He ran top 7 all year. I don’t know if anybody saw that coming. That’s really impressive as we’ve had guys who have scored at the State Meet in the last few years that haven’t done that. John was instrumental in what could be considered a turning point of the season. At Rim Rock, the race when the pack “clicked,” he carried them through the first two miles. The guys raved about his performance afterwards and made sure John got recognized as the Runner of the Week for Rim Rock. John Waller, hero.

All pieces of the 2010 DeSmet XC Puzzle. All heroic in some way. All irreplaceable.