Slippery When Wet

With Christmas break coming to an end and the start of a new year here, now is a good of time as any to do a post on some winter running. This post is primarily about the Big River Running Winter Distance Camp that I attended this past week.

But before I get to camp, I’ll start with last Sunday December 26th. It was the day of the 10m Frostbite. Zach Boyle (HOF) and I helped pace Coach Traughber through his marathon workout. We were just about right on the 7:15 per mile goal pace the whole time. Also there in his Marquette gear was former Spartan Connor Callahan who finish second in a little over 55 minutes, and Rob who ran the race as work out finishing 7 in just under 58 minutes. Zach and I ended up running over 12 miles; it was great to catch up with him and we had blast running together—just like old times.

On Monday through Thursday I hung out with about 50 other middle school and high school boys and girls interested in distance running. The camp counselors were coaches, college runners, and Big River employees. Each day we listen to a running talk, go for a run, learn some core and drills, eat lunch and play a game.

Monday
We listened to a talk on motivation. As part of it I made an ornament with my motivation on it: the Milk Table and the School Record. Interestingly, I wrote this down while sitting next to the 1600 record holder, Jeremy Doherty. Then we went on a run Queeny Park. I had a chance to run with Eric Fernandez. Eric currently runs for the University of Arkansas, and he was a 2-time state champ at Parkway West. It was really awesome to run with someone at that level. He was a lot fun to be around during the week and I enjoyed meeting and getting to know him. I am a proud member of “Taking Babies, Taking Names” (the nickname he gave the group of guys that ran with him).

Tuesday
I heard the famous “Spoon Speech” which deals with the importnace of training. We also learned about workouts and putting together a training schedule. For the run, we did 8 times up Dog Museum Hill at Queeny Park. As many of you know it’s quite the hill so it wasn’t just a jog in the park. Rob came and joined in on the fun. I ran the cool down with DeSmet grad Coach Porter from SLUH. He did half of the hills with us and it was cool to get to know him. After the run we watched some races including Eric running a 28:37 10k at Standford last track season, and Ben and Matt (co-owners of Big River) going 1-2 in an indoor mile at Mizzou in just over 4 minutes. I got through the first two round of Big River Madness, the camp game. It was a bracket trivia challenge with a sweet prize pack going to the winner. Best 2 of 3, winner moves on. First question on camp, the second on running, and if need be the third on pop culture.

Wednesday
We did a panel discussion that had questiona about every facet of running. Everyone is so experienced and I was able to learn a lot. This day I ran Lutheran South grad Adam Behnke who currently runs for Columbia University in New York City and Aimee Bonte who runs for Mizzou. She's a 2-time state champ for Rockwood Summit HS. Once again, I meet some great people and had an awesome time.

Thursday
Camp moved from CPop (Christ Prince of Peace) to SLUH. This was for the camp race—a 2 mile at Forest Park. I won the race in 10:53 running a big negative split. My team, Slippery When Wet, finished in 3rd out of 5. After the race I cranked out another 2 miles at tempo pace before heading back to SLUH for pancakes. Oh and of course Chocolate Milk. The final rounds of Big River Madness were played. I lost in the quarters to the eventual champion getting knocked out on a Justin Beber question. After this I hung out with the counselors for about an hour just to kill some time.

All-in-all I really enjoyed camp. It was a very good way to get my runs in over Christmas Break which can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. I had a great time and meet some great people. It was a blast.

REMEMBER: 2 months till track. Take care of business now so we’re ready to go. As the camp motto says, “Everybody runs in the summer. Champions train all year long.”

Merry Christmas from the Milk Table

We’d like to wish you and yours a very Merry and Blessed Christmas filled with joy.

The birth of Jesus our Savior, reminds us to recall the other blessings we’ve received. Among these blessings is the success of the Milk Table. The great distance this blog of humble origins has traveled is remarkable and truly a blessing. This could not be possible without your support, encouragement, and involvement. Runners, Coaches, Alums, Parents, Families, and Friends: we thank you for everything you’ve done. It means the world.

It has been an incredible year filled with fast times, many laughs, and great memories. The Milk Table is proud to have been a part of it. We tried to expand the happiness and fun beyond the track and 5,000 meter line by recording our adventures and sharing them with whoever will listen. During this time, we experienced the lows of missing out on State Track and the highs of the 16th Straight trip to State Cross Country and newborn babies. It really has been quite the ride, one that will not soon be forgotten.

Once again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. We love you guys.

Kevin
Jacob &
Alex

p.s. The picture above is an actual Christmas card that we made and distributed to the families of the runners on the card and all of the coaches. The idea came about when the picture on the bottom right was taken on the ride to Rim Rock and we said it was a “Christmas card picture.” So Christmas time rolled around and we made it a reality. The two color shots are from the first meet (Nike) and last meet of the season (State). Top left is the varsity guys sitting outside the Jewel Box on our Forest Park run. Top middle is on the return trip from State. Bottom middle was taken while we were waiting during the awards ceremony at the Parkway West Invite at McNair Park.

Rehab Month

The people ask for an update, the people get an update. Mr. Abernathy asked if I fell off the side of the earth, nope, I just didn't know anyone wanted an update!

I have been seeing Dr. Murphy twice a week. He does the same isolation and readjustments every visit. We added an exercise where I lay on my side at the end of the table, Dr. Murphy isolated spots on the back, while his assistant moves my legs up and down, while I move my arm at the same pace. Again, it hurts in a good way.

I have been doing a good amount of work in December. Dr. Murphy calls it the "rehab month" so that I am ready to roll January 1. I have done 4 400s (1 lap) with about 2 minutes in between each 400. The pace is very slow compared to track workouts I have done in the past, but I'm rehabbing. On days when I am not running 400s, the plan varies. Last week on the non 400 days, I ran 18 minutes in the pool. It's exactly what it sounds like, I run just like I would except running in place in the pool at my local 24 Hour Fitness. Jack Husmann has done this quite a bit. So last week I did that 3 times, this week I will do it twice, and run 3 miles on the road one day. The week after it will be 1 pool run, and 2 three mile road runs.

Dr. Murphy has talked to Coach Traughber on the phone, and sent emails back in forth so that everyone is on the same page. The biggest difference now is that I am sore, not in pain like I was all during cross country season. I should be sore. I haven't done this kind of running since May. We are confident that soreness with be to a point where I will be ready to take the next step January 1.

It is nice to see all the guys out training when I am on the track. Keep up the great work guys, it is going to be a fun spring.

Thanks for reading.

YES

After 3 "specialists", 3 physical therapists, 100 hours (minimum) on the elliptical, and a missed season, I think I have found the solution.


The day after State, I signed up for 24 hour fitness. Coach Williams and I talked a lot about how swimming laps is a very similar workout to running, without the impact. I found myself back to 24 about 5 hours after I registered for my first swim. I was anxious.

A few weeks later, the pain was not getting better. My parents, coaches, and I decided it was time to turn to doctor number 4. We decided Dr. Michael Murphy would be the lucky one to get a shot at the back that no one knew what was wrong. Dr. Murphy is different than the other three in that he is a chiropractor. He is the official chiropractor of the Rams and the Blues. He helped running back Malcolm Agnew with his hamstrings earlier in the football season. Dr. Murphy has pictures in his office of people he has helped. Everyone from Marc Bulger, Chris Pronger, Bruce Springsteen, and Eric Fernandez (Parkway West 2008) who seemed to not be able to be fixed, and just competed in Nationals with Arkansas.

Dr. Murphy isolates specific spots on my back, while his assistant moves my arms and legs around. He's good at finding the right spots, so it hurts, in a good way. He think I have muscle strains. But since this has been going on for years, it will take more than a few visits to work them out. He then pops my back in 3 or 4 different positions, and that feels awesome. He thinks he can fix my back, and surprisingly I believe him.

I will start a workout plan in the middle of December that will be made up high intensity, low volume runs and some pool stuff. Dr. Murphy ran a 1:50 800 back in the day after never running more than 4 miles in practice. Hopefully I can make it through May.

Spcial thanks to T Bone and Coach Williams for spening a ton of time on my back.

Head to the Polls

Dear Milk Table Followers (Readers),

As hopefully all of you know the Milk Table is hosting an end of season party that will include an award ceremony. Because you are a follower (reader) of this esteemed blog you have a vote.

You can vote on 4 different awards:

• Followers’ Choice: Outstanding Senior,
• Followers’ Choice: Outstanding Junior
• Followers’ Choice: Outstanding Sophomore
• Followers’ Choice: Outstanding Freshmen

Pick one member of the class for each award. It is okay to vote for just one class or all four. That’s up to you.

The Milk Table considers ”outstanding” to be an athlete who exemplifies the Milk Table. In essence, it is someone who lives the blog and its values. The Milk Table has six central values: Having Fun, Fellowship/Team Spirit, Running Fast, Improving/Growing, Looking Good, and Preserving Memories.

There are a four ways to cast your vote:

1. Email your votes to milktable@gmail.com
2. Email your votes me at kabernathy@desmet.org
3. Text your votes to me at (314) 630-4836
4. Send your votes to me in a facebook message

Select one of these four methods. Please DO NOT comment your vote. All votes must be in by Thursday, November 18th at 9:30pm central time.

Thanks,
Kabes

p.s. The Party is Friday, November 19th at noon at DeSmet. See you there!

Hay! NXN Midwest Regional

I left my house at 6:50 Sunday morning with my day and Coach Traughber for the last race of my high school career. It was a three hour trip to Terre Haute, Indiana to run on the Lavern Gibson Championship XC Course. We arrived at 11 so that I could pick up my race packet. For participating in the race Nike game me a sweet winter hat. I, just like about all the other kids, wore it for my warm-up.

Potter asked me some questions about the race:

How did driving down the morning of the race effect your preparations?Going down the day of forced me to wake up a little early and it put us at the course three hours early. That extra time worked out as the three of us walked most of the course to check out what it had to offer. With a later race time I had to eat two meals before the race which is different but I handled that well.

Did you look around for familiar faces when you were standing on the line, did you race with any Missouri guys?I did look around before the race but didn’t see anyone I knew expect Billy Leighton who was in the same box as me (3 of 52). I remember watching Billy win the middle school 3k at Cape Notre Dame 2 years ago and I’ve seen him at Frostbite. During last K of the race, I saw and passed a couple familiar people: Ethan Lambert of Eureka, Jordan Cook of Rock Bridge, and Joe Meyer of SLUH. Didn’t really race with any of them but picked from the crowd and then picked them off. I talked with fellow Missouri Jesuit High School’s number 1 runners after the race: Tim Rackers from SLUH and Zach Herriott from Rockhurst.

How did the course play to your strengths and weaknesses?
In general the course was just fast. I went out in 5:01 without it feeling any faster because the first mile is straight and flat with one decent downhill. I thought the four sets of haybails were a strength for me as I made surges at them and got over them easily. The nice flat finish was great and really allowed me to have a big kick. The weakness was just the huge field (359 racers). I didn’t get out crazy so I had a bunch of guys to pass. I was passing guys during the 2nd mile but didn’t realize that pace had slowed down a lot.

Did you change your strategy at all from state?
Not really. I just did what I always do. I got a bit faster but that was just because that’s the way this course ran. I knew I was going to be able to run a really good last mile since there weren’t the hills like State.Happy with the PR?
Soooo Happy! No better way to end the season. And it was great to get some guys that got me at State (Lambert, Wilfong, & Cook).

What’s next?
TRACK! But first taking some days off which should be nice considering I’ve ran 49 days straight and 97 of the last 98 days. Then looking to have a big offseason to get ready for what will be an even bigger track season. I’ve got some important goals I want to reach. Oh yeah, and BLOG PARTY on Friday—it’s going to be awesome!

It was an incredible day. I had an absolute blast. I was so happy that I was able to share it with my dad and T-Bone. The event and race were really cool and a whole lot of fun. It was an awesome way to end an awesome season. Thank you to everyone who made it so amazing and memorable.

Final Preparations

Yesterday I ran an easy 40 minutes out and back from my house. Then I did a 4x200 at mile pace to test the gears for Sunday. Today, I had the typical pre-meet practice except I wasn’t on the course. I ran 4 miles then got a real good stretch in.

Tomorrow morning I’ll leave at around 6:45 with my dad and Coach Traughber. We have to be in Terre Haute by 11:30 (Eastern Time) to get my number and stuff. The race isn’t until 2:15 so I will have plenty of time to check out the course and get warm-uped. The forecast looks good: upper 40s, low 50s, mostly sunny, probably about 53 at race time.

In keeping with how we’ve done things all year Potter sent me some questions.

Last week, you raced against a huge field. This week will be even bigger, is there anything to change from last week?
Yeah, there are supposed to be over 350 kids racing in the Championship Race so it will be packed. I’m going to try and run my race. Get out smart, probably a little faster than last week, then compete the rest of the way and pass as many guys as I can. I just have to be very aware of where I am the whole time and be sure to not get caught in the wrong pack. I’m going to look for some familiar faces like the Everetts and Lambert so I have a feel of where I am. With it being a flat course I’m going to try and run a faster second mile because there aren’t all the hills to worry about in the third like State. I’m ready. I’m excited.

What does it mean to you to be able to race against the best from many different states?
It’s really special. To think back to my humble beginning in the DeSmet XC program as a sophomore and to be in a race like this against great runners. It’s incredible. And besides the guys from the other States its cool to be able to race from the Missouri guys another time, too. I can’t wait. It’s going to be an awful lot of fun.


Do you know what to expect from the course at all?
Well, I know it’s the same location as the National Championship this year, so that’s pretty cool. I’ve checked out the course map and a preview video from MileSplit. It’s all wide open grass that reminds me a bit of the first part of Rim Rock. What’s makes the Laverne Gibson Cross Country Course different is that it’s flat for the most part. And flat means fast, especially the first mile. I think Boyle might have ran there earlier in the year with Maryville so I might try to talk to him tomorrow and get some thoughts. The preview showed haybails, which would be awesome!!

Runny Hall

When the season started to wind down, Coach Traughber starting getting more runs in. That meant he’d go run during Period 7 leaving Scherping and I alone in 204 for study hall. Today was a block day with Period 7 right in the middle. Perfect for a run? Oh yeah!

So Dr. Klug, Coach Traughber, and I went out for a run. On the doctor’s order we did a reverse Greaser. It’s been a long time since I have done a reverse anything, so it was cool. It was different to be out running during the middle of the day like that and I enjoyed it. Dr. Klug dropped out at 5 miles and T-bone and I went another two with some laps on the track and an E2E. I just in time for last lunch, ate and then went to AP Gov like it was any other day. But I won’t forget today. Today I ran during school.

In the News: On MileSplit there was a story about friend of the Milk Table, Krista Menghini. You should check it out; it’s a great story. And she gave an awesome shout out to fellow Blogmaster, Alex Potter. Potterman is mentioned in the “November 5, 2010 10:45pm Friday” section for the help he gave Krista. Truly a Man for Others—Way to go Potter! And congratulations to Krista for her incredible weekend.

Quote of the Day: “You always seem to take me on the worst runs.”- T-bone to Dr. Klug. They were talking about a winter run from some years ago when there was, as Dr. Klug recalls, “a wind chill of -17.” An exaggeration but that was just one of the many rough runs these two have shared.

Title: A play on Study Hall.

Be sure to read yesterday's post and the State Trip post. They were just added.

And I'm liking the comments!

Army of One

It’s not the same without all of you. Today, I ran to Conway Park for my 5k workout. It was a little lonely. Part of the time it was the good, peaceful kind of lonely. The other part was the “wow I wish someone else was here” kind of lonely.

I asked some guys where they thought I should go for the workout before I left DeSmet. The options became Malcolm, Des Pres, Conway, or the track. I decided to stay with my original thought and go to Conway. We started the 5k workouts at Conway so I had to go back there to finish it off.

The workout was 800 repeats on short rest. It was quite the battle. I was completely alone. Yes, I’ve run other workouts by myself, but it was really different without anyone at all there. It’s amazing how much seeing your teammates out there doing the same workout and hearing words of encouragement from coaches helps in a workout. That’s something that can often be taken for granted. In no way was it easy, but I bared down and fought through. I wasn’t right on pace, but still got quality 5k work in. Ready to rock in Terre Haute on Sunday.

I missed you guys on the way back. It was weird to run hard and then not have a good talk on the cool down. When I got back I had flat sprints. It was once again so nice out and I took advantage by doing the sprints barefoot on the turf. Just another solid day at the office.

Title: I chose that because it was what I was thinking about during the workout. I was out there fighting all on my own. But the one man army prevailed.

Under the Crescent

NXN Training Day 2. Today, I had to get my license renewed so I did a solo evening run. It was great. The weather was absolutely fantastic and running in the dark is so cool. I brought my iPod, Isabella, along for the run. We rocked for 45 minutes to a solid mix.

I had a special moment on my run today. I was running in my neighborhood and I thought about all the hours and miles I had spent all these streets thinking about being All State. It was pretty amazing to finally be out there running those same streets as All State runner. The pure joy of achievement.

I spent some of my other time thinking about all people outside of the team (not runners, alums, or parents) who have reading the blog this year. It’s cool and I thank them. The girlfriends like Katie and Jessica. A fellow All Stater Krista Menghini from S.J.A. The DeSmet teachers. And all the others.

The date for the Milk Table’s Cross Country Party & Awards has been set. It will be Friday the 19th since we are off school. It will be at DeSmet but we’d don’t have a time yet. It will be like the one we had after track: we’ll eat, hang out, play games, and give of the Milk Table Awards. All are invited to attend. Stay tuned for more details.

Milk Table Shout Out to Glen McGann who was back at school on Monday after missing two weeks. Glen even ended up in the hospital for a couple days with pneumonia. It was great to see him back at school and feeling healthy.

Quote of the Day: “Good, btw, you are still ALL STATE!” then “Enjoy that feeling, it is something special, I am honored to be a part of it.”- Coach Traughber’s texts to me after my run.

Check out the new stuff that has been put up in the last two days if you haven’t already:
Last Wednesday- Practice
Last Friday- State Trip It's not done yet. I'll get it up tomorrow.
Saturday- State Meet
Monday- Kabes’ Practice
State Week Pictures on Facebook

Leave some comments!!

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.

State Championships

On Saturday, the De Smet Cross Country Spartans' season finally reached the finish line after months of hard work. The Varsity team of Kevin Abernathy, Jacob Seiler, Matt O'Connor, John Madey, Nick Martini, Brian Scherping, and John Waller finished the season ranked as the 12th best team in Class 4.

Senior Jacob Seiler was running in his 2nd State meet. There was a big deal made about the changed to the course, and he seemed to like the changed.

"The changes made for a faster race, especially the first mile. They cut out a hill and some tight turns. They also made the end more exciting by stretching the finish. Overall I liked the changes"

Senior John Madey talked about how State was a great ending to a hard fought season.

"We completed a great race at the perfect place. The season couldn't have been completed in any other way. We showed that we deserved to be at State. I couldn't be more proud of our program for fighting until the end."

Juniors Nick Martini will use their first State experience as motivation to continue to work hard to make sure they make it back next season.

"State was just incredible. Seeing all those teams and more fans than I have seen cheering was awesome. Hanging out with my friends and just doing all of our goofy stuff together was pretty cool too. All in all it was a great experience and I can't wait for next season." Martini

"Running at State was so much fun. It was quite a reward for all the hard work that I put into the season especially getting to see Kevin win the All State honor. It was also motivation for me to continue to work hard this track season and to return next year for cross country." Waller

Senior Kevin Abernathy finished 16th overall, and received All State honors.

"Being All-State means a lot. An awful lot. It was the super long range goal for my Cross Country career and goes all the way back to second half of my sophomore season. To have actually reached this goal is really special. So much of it was not Saturday, but the whole journey leading up to it. This journey was incredible, and I absolutely loved it. It’s amazing to think about how far I’ve come, and just so awesome to have reached my ultimate goal of being All-State. It’s pretty cool to be up there with all the best guys in the state and to have my plaque on the locker room wall next to guys like Connor. I wouldn’t have wanted to do and couldn't’t have done this without the help of the coaches and all the guys on the team, past & present. Thanks to them for everything; it’s as much theirs as it is mine."

Senior Brian Scherping's goal was to run in State this year. This was his first year of running cross country after three years of soccer. That's pretty impressive. Brian proved to be a huge part of the team, not just because he was the 6th man at State, but because of the humor and fun he brought to the team.

"Being that it was my first year running cross country and I had the opportunity to run at State, that made it pretty awesome. I can say that the guys I ran with that Saturday were the people that made that experience the way it was. Without them I don't think that day would have been the same. So I don't think State meant to me as much as being there with my friends and Coaches!! I want to thank those who were with me because they were the reason State was so awesome!"

Obviously the end of the season is bitter sweet. On the bright side, most of us are lucky that track basically starts in a week, and we get to do this all over again. On the down side, the Seniors won't get to experience a high school cross country season again.

"I am going to miss all the Seniors, especially Jacob and Kevin because they have been there since I was a freshman and they are great friends." Matt O'Connor

Thank you to all the runners and parents who came to Jeff City for the race and supported us all season!

More Than a 5k

As coach told us before and after the race on Saturday, it’s not just about the State Meet but about the whole process—the journey that was 2010 DeSmet XC. The final part of the journey was the State Meet in Jefferson City. But, this was more than a 5k. It was an experience.

Our trip started Friday morning after homeroom. We meet in the Emerson Lobby for a team picture and a blessing from Fr. Sydney. Next on the itinerary was the State tradition of breakfast at First Watch. It was a great, hearty breakfast. First Watch is a big point of the season for us as we are given our hard earned salary. There was a lot of variety in our meals: pancakes, French toast, and eggs. We had multiple orders of the famous Traditional Plus 1 and even a Plus 2.

Then we piled in the van for the couple hour drive to Jeff City. Like we have been doing all year on the day before the meet, we played Super Smash Bros. But this time it was on the computer. Jacob won the 6 man tournament. Just hanging out and chatting made the ride a lot of fun like always. When we arrived at the hotel, we got paired up with our roommates before going to Subway for lunch. After lunch, the Variety guys got together to read a letter from Liz. It was really awesome. Thanks Liz!!

Everyone put on their Milk Table shirts and we headed to Oak Hills for our course preview practice. It was the first time the shirts were out in force and they looked good. Not only were we the best dressed team there but people were asking what the shirts meant. The preview went really well. We ran the first 400 on pace to get a feel for what it would be like tomorrow and then jogged the rest of the course. We checked out the changes in the course and learned where the coaches would be for the race. Like always, we finished up with chocolate milk.After some down time, we headed to Madison’s for dinner. There we saw some other teams such as Marquette and Nerix. It was once again a great team dinner of bread, salad, and spaghetti or mostaccioli. A relaxing evening of just hanging out in the hotel followed.

Saturday
We ate a good breakfast at the hotel before going to the course for the State Meet. A special thank you to everyone who came to support us at the meet and the whole season: parents, friends, teammates, alums. And for all the snacks afterwards.

We waited for kabes to get his medal and then were on our way back to DeSmet. Even without Madey, it was still a fun ride back. We reminisced about the season and talked about track. We even rocked out to Coach Russo’s iPod.

This post doesn’t fully express whole awesome the trip was, but take my world it was. A totally great experience. There really aren’t many things better than hanging out with your best friends for almost two days and getting to race on the biggest stage at the same time. This trip was final part of the 2010 Cross Country journey. It was journey that I’m super thankful for and will never forget.

Quote of the Trip: “From a distance I thought you all were a bunch of tan guys without shirts on.”- Coach Russo when he walked over to us stretching on the course on Friday because we all had on our burnt orange Milk Table shirts.

Joke of the Trip: “Who wants a fishy??”- Scherping as he was making Sweedish fish “swim” in the air on the bus ride back.

Here It Is

Oak Hill
The summer miles have been run. The tempos at Conway have been completed. The redemption at Parkway Central was succesful. Now, it is time for State. The Varsity squad representing De Smet is Seniors Kevin Abernathy, Jacob Seiler, John Madey, and Brian Scherping with Juniors Nick Martini, Matt O'Connor, and John Waller. They are getting a great opportunity on Saturday.

"It means a lot. It’s going to be so different actually running I’m so used to just going there and not doing anything but this is going to be better. I’m looking forward to this experience and I will probably never forget it" Matt O'Connor

"Running at state is a huge deal for me. I was an alternate my sophomore year, and I thought to myself, “This is such an awesome experience, and I want to be back here.” But because I was injured last year, I came back expecting to go to state. I wanted to feel the excitement and hype surrounding the state meet. I worked hard over the summer and season to make it this far. I never wanted anything less than state. This was my goal from the beginning, because this is where I wanted to end my career." John Madey

"It means a lot to me personally to compete at the State meet in Jefferson City. I remember watching both of my brothers race there when I was younger before my running career had even started so it is definitely something I have come to value greatly. Being part of a team that goes to state is also something very special, as T-Bone said not everyone gets to go to state. The fact that we had to fight for our chance to be there for the 16th year in a row will make the experience that much more sweet. If there is a way to end my cross country career this is the way to do it! Enjoy the challenge boys." Jacob Seiler

"I find it a huge honor to represent my school in the state championship. Just getting to run with the best runners in the state on one of the hardest courses is extremely exciting. Just attending the meet the last two years was extremely entertaining, especially watching Connor finish 4th two years ago. There is so much tradition on that course and I know that I will never forget getting to run in the state meet. I want to make sure that we run a great race so that the seniors can leave on a good note and hopefully I’ll get another chance to run in the meet next year." John Waller

"To know that I’m going to be running in state is simply mind blowing. It reflects how I, and the rest of the Varsity team, have improved over the season. The only reason we have gotten this far is because we have been training to our fullest potential. As a freshman I would have never thought that I would make it this far, but now that it’s a reality I now realize that all of our hard work has paid off." Nick Martini

"Everything. State means everything to me. We’ve worked hard, and it’s going to be awesome. The varsity met a month ago, and we said: ‘The season ends in Jeff City crossing the finish line at State.’ We’ve made that goal a reality. Now, it’s time to go have some fun, do what we’ve done all season, and finish it up right. I’ve been waiting a long time for this meet, and I can’t wait to get out there and run with everything I have. Having my teammates on the line with me on Saturday means a lot. I am just very thankful for the journey and the opportunity. It’s finally here. Let’s Go!" Kevin Abernathy

Special thanks to Mama Madey for making us dinner tonight, and all the other parents who have cooked for us the last month.

Good luck boys. Running in State is something you will never forget. Have fun!

All Business

Today was all business for the varsity in more than one way.

First off, it was finally the long awaited and high anticipated Polo to Practice Day. All the guys looked very classy in their nice shirts tucked in and buttoned up (except for the king). Even the picture taken was classy, although a mandatory smile from Scherping made its way into the photo.

As for the run, the boys did a Spoede (I should note that the polo’s were worn the entire length of the practice). WE were accompanied by Rob and Coach Traughber. Rob held the pace for the boys, and we managed to get through the run in around 40 minutes. Along the way, Scherping won his first ever, and last GTTG of the season. Scherping ran a “victory lap”, running ahead of everyone with joy over the fact that it was his first career win. It was a remarkable victory, as all of us put in a guess at the temperature. Hopefully a long winter training program will help him gain many more wins in his GTTG career. There was a pretty competitive game of Spotter. Points were split between kabes, Seiler, and OC. Kabes took victory due to an early Escort-Esqueeze. You could also feel the excitement growing for the state meet throughout the run, which was something special I had never felt before in my running career.
—Bulldog

Best Dressed: Seiler- classy as always. He was a big proponent of Polo to Practice Day since the idea first came around. The idea was inspired by the movie Chariots of Fire. It’s set in the 1920 and everyone ran in what would today be considered dress clothes. Since we’re in the 21st century, Jacob took advantage of the new technologies and wore a drifit polo. He made the classic DeSmet XC polo look darn good.
—Best Dressed by kabes—

Coach, That Wasn't a 5k

Today the Varsity guys got to the a mile time trial. An interesting twist was there was no JV football games or freshman soccer games, so we got to use De Smet's track. The boys wore the matching shorts/hat combo for the big day. After an EE + 2 lap warm up, we did some real ins and outs, and took the line. Coach Rob took out the boys in the first 200 at about 33 seconds.

Kabes took the gold, with Brian Scherping setting a 20 second PR and coming in second. The pack was all under 4:50, with Josh Goetz just over the mark, and Seamus Hamilton running 38 seconds faster than August with a PR of 5:04. It was a great race by all.

After a 4x400 that the guys dominated, it was off for a 10 minute cool down. Remember to bring warm clothes for the rest of the week, it's cold.

Quote of the Day: "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh caught in a bad romance." Seamus Hamilton practicing for the talent show.

Joke of the Day: "Coach. You should shove me in this mailbox, so when the mailman comes by, I can jump out and yell Happy Halloween!" Scherping on the cool down to Rob

Remember! Coach Traughber will be on the Big River State Preview Show TONIGHT at 7. Click here to listen.

Title: Jacob Seiler after we finished the mile

The Seven Three Potters

On Saturday, we qualified for the State Meet and that meant two things for today’s practice. We finally got to left on the Katy Trail and we celebrated Halloween by wearing costumes. If you think those two things mean an awesome day, you are 100% correct.

We had 3 Potters, 2 Robs, Scooby-Doo, Davy Crocket, Uncle Josh, an unidentified runner, and Batman. We took pictures with some of our favorite things at Katy Trail: the Lewis & Clark statue, and the caboose. This might have been the best warm-up of the year because we also went on the beach and the pier.
After line skips so that T-Bone wouldn’t leave, we headed left on the Katy Trail for a 55 minute run. Oh the glory of Left: the park, the dogs, the deer, the high road, the low road, the levee, and the Junk Yard. Like he said he would be, Coach Williams was there at “a little place [he] likes to call 38°48'17.15"N and 90°27'58.81"W” with water for us. He was accompanied by his Jedi sidekick Harrison. We had a blast today. It was a Katytastic!

Great News: The Spartans have made the Big River Rankings! We took the 10th slot after our State qualifying performances at Districts and Sections. It sounds like the Plan has worked because they say that DeSmet is “peaking at the right time.” Also, Senior Kevin Abernathy has cracked the Top 15 individual rankings after just missing twice early this year. He earned the 11th spot with his District Championship and Sectional Runner-up finishes. In the words of Alex Potter to the Varsity guys: “You guys have worked so hard ad really deserve it. But at the same time don’t settle!”

Quote of the Day: “JUSTICE!”- Jacob Seiler as Batman. We ended it saying it a lot. Justice this Justice that. So great.

Joke of the Day: “What is a pencil without a tip? Pointless.”- Rob. This was one of a number of good Halloween jokes that were said during the run.

Best Dressed: Matt OC as Papa Potter. Matt wore a wig fro visor and a Duke shirt to look like Alex. He also had his brand-new-birthday-gift running shorts that just so happened to be Duke colors. He finished it off by putting a Duke hoodie on after practice was over. Matt O’Connor was Alex Potter for just over an hour.

Title: It upsets me if you don’t get it. It’s a Harry Potter reference. There was a chapter in the 7th book called “The Seven Potters.”

Please Note: New Title to Commemorate qualifying for State. And new Main Picture.

Sunday Conversation

Today, I asked some questions to Connor Callahan (2009)

AP: What are you studying at Marquette?
CC: Physiological Sciences

AP: What is the best part of college?
CC: The best part is definitely all the new friends I made from my team and how there is so much more free time in the day.

AP: How difficult was the jump from high school to college running?
CC: Runningwise it was tough, I was pretty much thrown into the mix here from day one and it took a few races to get used to it. Academically it wasn't that bad as DeSmet actually does prepare you pretty well.

AP: What is your team like?
CC: My team is full of all kinds of people, from the cockiest people I've ever met to the most humble. I'd be lying if I said everyone on the team liked everyone else, as we have a pretty big roster. For the most part though we all get along and going on trips with the team as a whole is usually pretty fun.

AP: Where have you gotten to travel?
CC: I actually got back late last night from Syracuse, NY from the Big East XC Championships, there isn't much going on there though and flying there was a hassle. Last year Seattle and Spokane, WA, and San Francisco were some of the cooler places I got to go to. This upcoming spring, assuming I'm healthy, I'll be going back to San Francisco, and then LA and Philadelphia.

AP: What meets do you have coming up?
AP: After yesterday, we have the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Meet in Detroit in two weeks. If we are all on our A-game, there's a slight chance we could get into nationals, but it's a slim chance.

AP: What do you miss most about running at De Smet?
CC: The thing I miss the most about running at DeSmet is messing with T-bone everyday. I don't know he ever handled the combo of me and Jordan Nikolaisen or me and Zach Boyle.

AP: What did it mean to you to run at State?
CC: Running in the State meet was always a big deal to me, and I'm glad I got to run in 3 of them. Senior year the meet was a blast knowing that if it was the right day I had the chance to win it even though it didn't pan out the way. Placing well in the state meet is also one of the best ways to get noticed by college coaches.

AP: There has been plenty of talk about moving the state course. What do you think about the course and would you move it to springfield?
CC: I think the course should stay as is. The difficulty and uniqueness (if that's even a word) is what makes it so great. Springfield is just a flat course that really has nothing exciting or interesting to it (from what I've heard). Changing the course would ruin the history of the meet. If guys like Matt Tegenkamp can run 15:26 on it, then why can't everyone else give their best effort on it?

AP: What advice do you have about tackeling the course?
CC: The first mile is crazy and it goes out different every year. Just put yourself close to the position you'd like to finish in, and just take it from there. The second mile is the fastest mile of the course, and it can be a good time to mentally prepare yourself for the last mile that everyone has come to know and love.

AP: What does it say about T Bone for leading this team who had been beaten by almost every team in the sectional, to a third place finish when it counted?
CC: He knows what he's doing. There was never a meet in high school where I didn't feel ready. He knows that it matters to be on your A-game at the end of October and not at the beginning of September. I definitely attribute almost all of my success in high school to the way he coached me. I never felt burnt out at the end of a season because of the way we did things.

AP:What is the best way for guys that want to run in college to make that happen?
CC: Performing well at big meets like State is huge. It shows that you're not only physically strong, but mentally as well. Also, you need to recruit yourself as well, go online and fill out questionnaires, and email coaches of schools you're interested in. I was lucky enough that the schools I was interested in found me, but I also tried to recruit myself to a few stretch schools as well, and gave myself even more opportunities that way.

Boys, We Did It

Parkway Central
Yesterday, the Varsity squad raced in the Sectional 1 race at Parkway Central. Top30 individuals advance, along with the top 4 teams.

Kevin Abernathy, Nick Martini, and Jacob Seiler all finished in the top 30, and received tokens to be cashed in at State. So for a few short, anticipation filled minutes, no one was 100% sure if De Smet would be running 3 runners, or 7.

Before the team even left for the cool down, T Bone was back with the news. For the 16th year in a row, De Smet had qualified as a team for State. The team finished third, beating several teams that had beaten us earlier in the year.

Senior Kevin Abernathy followed up his great districts race with a second place finish. Second of the team in 18th place was Junior Nick Martini. Nick ran an amazing race. Nick knew he would be moving on by the end of the race, but that was not good enough. He wanted to make sure the whole team moved on.

"During the last mile, I kept saying 'I need to move up or there's no chance of State.' So I put those words into action when Alex told me that I had to move up right away. I passed a few guys which helped our team a lot."

Senior Jacob Seiler, running in his first career sectionals meet, finished 29. He knows Nick came up huge.

"Nick stepped up big and accomplished our team goal of 'leading the pack.' I held on to him for as long as I could keeping us in position for a great State qualifying finish."

Rounding out the top 5 and scoring for the Spartans were John Madey and Matt O'Connor. All though they did not score, Brian Scherping and John Waller still contributed greatly to the team. They were able to get in front of the competition's scoring runners, pushing their score back.

"I knew that each guy I passed was one more point I was adding to other team's scores, and helping our team." John Waller

And now a play by play from Brian Scherping

"Ok so when we started off when we went around the first loop we were towards the back and I was a little scared. Because we were in the back but I knew from the wise coaches that people went out hard and we would pass them when they died and sure enough we started passing people left and right! It was quite hilarious mentally. So we get to the woods and I remember me saying that I'm tired right before we went up the big hill (Brian laughs out loud). Then when we went down the hill. I caught up back with the pack and was like I'm still tired and then we went up another hill and I was REALLY tired. I can remember having to throw up and we had not even gone 1 mile and half yet (Brian laughs out loud). But from what I learned from castle park, I put it aside and kept running. And then eventually people yelled at me to run faster or to catch someone and my mind would agree but my legs would think otherwise (Brian laughs out loud) until we got to the down hill (at the end of the race) where everything came together. I remember telling myself FOR STATE!!!! run run run!!!! And then I passed some people and at the end with 200 to go Potter and Rob told me to pass this loser west kid and I did (Brian laughs out loud) AWESOME!!!!

Thanks Brian. Senior John Madey is looking forward to the week to come.

"I'm looking forward to a good week of practice with a focused group. We qualified for the "Big Dance". Now it's just time to perform."

This year, it was not a sure thing that De Smet would be going to State as a team. Coach Traughber knew what he was doing. He never lost confidence, and made sure no one on the team lost confidence.

"It shows he knows what he is doing and he has prepared us extremely well. We knew it was not going to be easy. But we bought in, followed the plan, and now we are going to State. Coach will tell you we did the work, but we wouldn't be heading to Jeff City next weekend without him and all the other coaches." Kevin Abernathy

One more week of hard work, and we will all be in Jeff City. Coach Traughber will be a guest on the Big River Running State Preview Show on Tuesday.
Great job to all the runners and coaches. One more week!

Sectionals and Part 2 of the Dynamic Duo

Home Course

First off, congrats to Coach Williams and his wife who are now parents of two. Welcome Amelia Caroline Williams! Look for Amelia and Hannah to be the next Sisson-Robinson in about 17 years.


On to the race. The Varsity squad will return to Central for the third time to race, and the 100th time overall for the big race tomorrow.

Last race was tough, and we added 4 more quality teams into the mix. Jacob Seiler talks about the difference between districts and sectionals.

"Sectionals is like the big time meet. Our race last week was awesome and took everyone by surprise, this week we will be very on the radar and it's going to be a dogfight to get through. We will be racing against some teams that we have not faced all season so the excitement level is definitely high. I am extremely confident that if we run as well as we did at districts Sectionals is nothing to be afraid of."

Junior Nick Martini talked about running in his first big time meet last week.

"Last week I felt pretty prepared. I slept well the last night, had a good breakfast, and overall felt great in the race. This week I will try to get up a little earlier so I'm not rushing to get ready in the morning. Just being relaxed helps me the most."

Last week was also Matt O'Connor's first taste of the road to State, but he says being a two time State alternate helped.

"Yes it did. Now I know how awesome going to state is, so now I want to go even more and step up to make sure that happens."

It will be tough, but Kevin Abernathy is confident both that the team will run their best, and he will have a shot to go back to back weeks as champion.

"On the individual level, it couldn’t be any higher. I’m fit, fast and ready to go. Being back on the same course that I won on last week is another boost. As a team, it’s the exact same thing. We are all excited and ready to go. We know what to do and how to do it and we’re going to make it happen on Saturday. It’s going to be fun."

Senior Brian Scherping is making his Varsity return. I asked him what the game plan is, and he said he was too busy and to make something up, so here goes.

"I am very excited to be back on Varsity. Last week in the challenge race, I went out at the same pace as the Varsity pack and imagined I was wtih them. The plan is to be with the pack at the mile, then go from there! I can't wait to run run run!" -Brian Scherping

Parkway Central has become our home course. We have had practice there several times in the last few weeks. John Madey and John Waller know the course like the back of their hand.

"The Parkway Central trips have helped prepare me for sectionals because I know which parts of the course that I need to push myself and which parts I need to take advantage of." Waller

"Since we have raced at Parkway Central twice, I am very familiar with the course. I know where I can cruise during the race, and where are the best spots to pass kids up. I have learned that this course is not as difficult as I once believed it was. I am just looking to improve this week to help my team make it to the biggest meet of the year on November 6th." Madey

Good luck tomorrow boys!

40 Minute Adventure

Wednesday
The whole team headed to Forest Park. The JV and Freshmen were running in their final race of the season—the Findley Invitational. The Varsity was there for a 40 minute run and to cheer on the other Spartans.

The top 8 had Forest Park, 40 minutes, and a camera. These three things put together equaled an awesome practice. We ran around the park to all the best places and stopped to take a picture. We rotated the photographer so everyone would be in the pictures. At each stop, we gave ourselves 7 seconds to strike a pose. It was a blast. We even took a video of us running up Art Hill. If you want to check them out, the pictures and video are on facebook. They are all unique and great. You have to look closely at some to see the best parts.

Thursday
The Varsity was joined today by the JV guys that will be running in the Challenge race on Saturday. We were back at our home course (Parkway Central). The JV’s practice was a simple course preview, one time through the course. The Varsity prepped for Setionals by running the first 800 on pace and doing strides on the last 200. We ran by the DeSmet Freshmen Maroon Team playing at Central and cheered. It was a successful day; we are excited and ready to go for Saturday.

Quote of the Day: “Bear Crawl”- Martini when we were just about at the top of the Art Hill. You can hear it on the video.

Joke of the Day: “I want to having a meeting with Coach Traughber, Rob, and Potter. It would be the most epic meeting ever.”- Scherping randomly after practice and the way he said it was so funny.

Best Dressed: Madey. It has been a week of sleeves for Madey and he’s been wearing them like a champ. On Wednesday, he had a long sleeve Nike shirt with some red bball shorts—a very classy look for the Forest Park run. But even his long sleeves didn’t stop him from using one of his favorite sayings: “Sun’s out, Gun’s out.”

Senior Night

Forest Park

Tomorrow, the Cross Country Spartan ts will return to Forest Park for the Findley Memorial. For a good amount of Seniors of the team, this will be there last 5k of their high school career. The guys shared what cross country has meant to them through the years.

"Cross Country was the first thing that I ever did at De Smet. It was the first chance I got to encounter the people and brotherhood of the school. Some of the friends that I have know I met during my first year of cross country. I can still remember the first day when Seamus walked down the bleacher steps, talking big game and making a name for himself. I was actually intimidated, but now we are friends. Being the in the back part of the group has given me the chance to interact with runners of all ages and classes which I think has helped influence my character and make it better. Thanks Cross Country for a great four years...oh and thanks to all the runners too." Ben Herries- 4 seasons

"The last two years I have gained a lot of friends I wouldn’t have w/o this sport such as Patrick, glen, beers, OC, Martini, and obviously the great Ed O’Brien. But it has also given me a lot of confidence that I lacked before coming on the team. It is amazing being on a team where everybody cheers everyone else on from Kabes all the way down. Getting to run with all of you guys has been something I will never forget. My favorite race is a tie between Last Friday’s Clayton race where I first broke 20 and medaled for the first time and Borgia last year. I would like to thank the entire team for giving me an experience I would never forget. Finally the greatest lesson I learned is when you think you don’t have anything left there’s always a little bit you can tap into and beat the time you want." Drew Higgins- 2 seasons

"Tomorrow will be the end of my high school Cross Country career. I started this during my junior year and the only way that I could describe these two seasons is with a simple "awesome." I have spent the vast majority of my XC time in the lower end of the groups and even if our adventures through the dangerous streets of Creve Couer don't usually get published in the blog, they have been amazing. It is actually somewhat hard to pick out a favorite time. One of my favorites is a Spoede-Mosley that I ran with Pribe, big Ed, and several others. During that long run, Pribe told a riddle of epic proportions that kept us guessing for many miles. Thank you to my fellow runners and coaches who have made running great." Matt Coleman- 2 seasons

Three runners will close out cross country in the JV race at Sectionals.

"Cross country has just been an in general awesome experience for me. I would just like to thank the whole team, graduated to freshmen. Even people who I didn’t talk to really, like the seniors my freshmen year, still had a great affect on me. I also would really like to thank the coaching staff. From T-bone with his great enthusiasm, T-time with his general rippedness gave encouragement to everyone, Williams with his stats, times, and strategies, Russo who is kind of chill be still really cares about the team and gets your splits and gets you motivated to keep going, to Boland who was a big influence my freshmen year with the talks about things that aren’t probably appropriate for the blog. And Rob who I haven’t really talked to or spent much time with but seems like he really cares about the team and helps Kevin run his workouts. And Leeman, enough said. One major thing from Cross country that I got was all the friends I made from it and the six pack which gets all the ladies. My favorite part was Seamus RPG and the random but awesome conversations that I’ve had on long runs. I also loved the random, sometimes inappropriate banter that came from every run pretty much. My personal favorite was the conversation about “My Coach Traughber”. It’s an inside joke but trust me it was amazing. Thanks again everyone, you guys have had a big influence on my life, hopefully for the better." Dan Bowman- 4 seasons

"Having run cross country for four years, I can definitively say it has been my favorite thing at De Smet. The guys and coaches on the team were friends, mentors, and most importantly motivators to me and I am thankful that I was able to find my way into such a great community. You guys are truly the best!" Josh Goetz- 4 seasons

"My time on the team has been blessing even though everyday I’d start off not looking forward to practice during it I was always at peace, I could take out my stress while running, I didn’t have to worry about life while I was running, I could be with my friends while I was running, and I could be me while I ran. The best days of all were the one of me coming home knowing I did what I did to the best of my abilities. Oh and having the Coaches I had was also a blessing, I hope I touched all their hearts as much as they did mine. So yeah, Thank you Coach Traughber, Thank you Coaches, Thank you Team, Thank You DeSmet Cross Country" Seamus Hamilton- 4 seasons

Thanks a lot guys. Good luck to all the Spartans racing tomorrow.

Joke’s on You

Top Nine headed to Katy Trail today to continue our work to qualify for the State Meet. It was time to refocus after all the fun, joy, and excitement of Saturday so that we can do it all over again this Saturday.

We started with a cool warm up. We went on the beach next to the Missouri River, on to the pier, and to the Lewis & Clark statue before heading back to the parking lot. We continued by doing Freestyle Skips, a Katie Trail favorite. At this time Coach Traughber was so amazed that we were all skipping in random directions that he threatened that he was going to leave. He did. We then decided it was a great time to start practice.

Some background is needed to understand this part. There are two directions on the Katy Trail: Right & Left. We have gone right every time this year. We asked if we could go left. Coach said no because there is no water stop that direction. Starting practice without coach, we obviously went left. After about 6 minutes, Coach appears on the road next to us and tells us to turn around. Not quite as left as we wanted to go, but we’ll take it. If we qualify, we get to go LEFT!!!

We found and destroyed a Droid phone during the run. Don’t freak out. It was already broken (cracked screen and no battery). It was fun.

A special thanks to Goetz and his truck. His truck was an excellent spot to watch film in the Katy Trail parking lot.

Quote of the Day: “Matt. Matt. Matt.”- Seiler for like seriously 20 minutes trying to get Matt to show some emotion.

Joke of the Day: “I’m the first result on Google!”- Seamus talking about his radio show.

Best Dressed: In his first practice after becoming District Champ, kabes went back to his roots. He borrowed his brother’s Freshmen White Team Soccer shorts. He is the last remaining piece of the White Team Era (Boyle, Bender, Potter, Abernathy) on the Cross Country Team. Some would say that his success stems from the Trees Poelker had the team run every day and the mailbox + 400 race for the rainy Saturday practice. He paired the shorts with the light blue winter training shirt and his blue hat. He rose from the humble beginnings of a wing back on the White Team to a district champion and still knows the importance of looking good. Abernathy and Potter - Freshmen White Team Soccer

REMEMBER: The Milk Table Shirts are in. Potter will be in 204 after school. Go there with $8 to pick it up.

Sunday Conversation

This week I interviewed fan favorite Chris France (2008).

AP: Where are you at and what are you studying?
CF: I am at University of Central Missouri and I am majoring in biology.

AP: Do you enjoy running for UCM?
CF: Yes I do enjoy running for UCM. The team is extemely close and the people on the team are my closet friends. There are only two teams that I would every want to be apart of. The Desmet team and the UCM team. I couldn't imagine being on any other teams.

AP: How is it different than De Smet?
CF: There are a lot of very good looking girls on the team and DeSmet just had a much of dudes. Also, in high school I got to run with some of the best in the state and train with them but now I am on the same team as some of the best in the nation. I get to train, eat dinner with, hang out with all americans and national champions so its pretty interesting. Its like wow man I am on the same team as these guys.

AP: Where have you traveled with the team?
CF: I have travelled to some places in Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Illinois, and Colorado with the team. Its a fun time.

AP:You are by far the alum who comes around the most, why do you enjoy coming back so much?
CF: I love coming back and hanging out with the team. I like to come back and hang out with my friends i guess.

AP: Why is it imporant for you to go to both state xc and track every year since you have graduated?
CF: It is important to for me because I get to come cheer on my teammates and hopefully by me being there cheering I can help you guys have a better performance. I like to see my teammates compete. It motivates me and the atmosphere and vibes at those races are rare and it just gives me a huge rush.

AP: What is your proudest accomplishment as a high school runner?
CF: This is difficult to answer. There are many experiences that have made me extremely pround. To name off one it would be my pr I ran at districts my senior year. Running a pr is always an accomplishment. Or it may be doing the 10 x 400 workout my junior year on a Saturday before a soccer game. I think it was our fourth and final 10 x 400 workout of the cross season. I remember I had a really good workout and so did the rest of the team. When everyone on the team is having an amazing workout day or long run day it is just so beautiful. That feeling that consumes your body is absolutely amazing, words can not explain it.

AP: What is the craziest made up story you have ever gotten a DeSmet runner to believe?
CF: That I was professional at Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and ranked in the top 25 at playing the game.

AP:How about yesterday with the Varsity getting second and beating 2 ranked teams at districts?
CF: Thats great but now it is time to beat ranked teams at State. You guys should know that your a team to compete with and just go out there and race hard at sectionals and state.

AP: Advice for the guys as there are only 2 races left?
CF: Just be in the pursuit of happiness for these next two races and everything else much further down the road. You guys are a very strong and tight team and anyone can see that through this blog or at practice so just go out there and race hard at sectionals and state for your team. Racing is special so make these last races memorable.

AP:See you at State?
CF: There might be a chance I'll be in Fort Hays, Kansas but mostly I'll be at state. I'm going to do my best to make it.

AP: What do you think of this blog and how often do you read it?
CF: I love this blog and I read it about two to three times a week.

AP: Kobe or LeBron
CF: Kobe

What a Day

Shaw Park

This week's meet action started on Friday when the JV and Freshman teams headed to Shaw Park for the Clayon Invitational. The weather was great, and this meet gave many young runners the chance to run Varsity for the first time. Running against the top 7 of many small schools and scoring for the Spartans were Michael Callahan, Steve Placht, Mackenzie Smith, Dan Bowman, and Collin Sullivan. Mackenzie talked about his first Varsity race.

"My first varsity meet was extremeley hard, I had no idea there was going to be that many people in the race. I did try my very best, because that course was extremely difficult for me because it was extremely hilly and very narrow. I think I proably could of relax my shoulders more, and not get so stiff in my neck, and myabe taken wider strides"

The squad finished 12th out of 20, pretty impressive since most of the runners had never ran in a Varsity race.

The remaining runners ran next in the JV race. Scoring for the Spartans were Pat Callahan, Collin Vieth, Tim Fitzpatrick, Drew Higgins, and Matt Beers.

Sophmore Tim Fitzpatrick ran the race of his life, setting a new PR by a minute and ten seconds.

"I just felt really good that race and the guys off the course cheering kept me going and the guys running with me helped me push myself when I saw someone and thought that I could catch up with them"

Senior Drew Higgins broke the 20 minute barrier for the first time.

"I went out harder and I fought through alot of the pain that I had. I also stuck with Beers for the first mile then work hard to catch back up in the last mile. Attacking the up hills and using the down hills also helped"

This was Senior Alex Potter first and only meet this season due to his back troubles. He talked about what it meant to him to put on the jersey and join his fellow Spartans on the course for one last 5k:

The night Tbone and I decided it would be best to stop pushing the issue, he brought up the idea and I have been really excitied since then. It felt great to warm up with the guys and put the spikes on. I ran a good first mile then according to Web MD I strained a muscle in my abdomen so I just tried to finish after that.

With his cross country racing complete Alex said how exicted he is for the upcoming track season:

I can't wait until the spring. This could be the most talented team we've ever had and we have a great shot to win confrence.

The JV squad finished 3rd out of 16. Great race guys!

Parkway Central- Districts

After a delicious team dinner that Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy cooked for the top 9, Coach Truaghber, Coach Garwitz, and myself,the squad was ready for the big race. They had their work cut out for them, competing against the "home team" and three ranked opponents. It didn't matter.

The rain that was predicted never came, and the weather was fantastic. The team followed the plan perfectly. Kevin Abernathy was with the lead pack at the first mile, and the Superpack of Jacob Seiler, Nick Martini, Matt O'Connor, John Madey, John Waller, and Josh Goetz all came in together about 10 seconds after that. When it was all said and done, Kevin had taken the individual district crown, and Seiler, Martini, O'Connor, and Madey all finished in the top 30. Kevin's performance earned him a spot in the Post.

"I knew I had Lambert (Eureka) when I came out of the woods and Coach Williams yelled "Do your thing!" at the 4k. I caught him and put him away with about 400 to go. As someone described, my face lit up coming around the bleachers as I realized I was going to win. It was fun and very special. An amazing day" Kabes

Matt O'Connor had a very impressive finish, knowing that he could not allow the group of people behind him to push him out of the top 30.

"I looked over my shoulder around that last turn and saw that huge group and I knew if they passed me we would be finished so I didn't let them and I was able to pass people near the finish."

The team had advanced, putting 5 in the top 30. The coaches were thrilled knowing we were to move on to Sectionals next week. T Bone and I walked down to the scorer's tabel, and when we heard "2nd" Coach ducked three ropes, and sprinted up the hill at 100 meter workout pace to tell the other coaches. The top 5 teams were seperated by only 18 points, and the Spartans finished 2nd. Senior Jacob Seiler has been part of the road to State several times, but this one was special.

"It is significant because this year, more than the past years, the question has been "will we make it?". Yesterday we showed up and announced to everyone that we are going all the way. It was just an awesome day for us as a team to show how far we have come this season and that we are not at all irrevelant in the post season."

After the Varsity, Seniors Seamus Hamilton and Brian Scherping ran the same course in their attempt to challenge for a Varsity spot next week. They made it so that the coaches will have some tough decisions.

It was a great two days for the Spartans, and there are two more weeks of hard work and fun to reach the ultimate goal.

From Central
Alex Potter
M.T.B.L.

Hay is in the Barn

With the JV having the day off before the Clayton Meet tomorrow, the Districts guys headed to Parkway Central for practice. We had the course to ourselves because of the early dismissal.

After jogging the whole course for the warm-up, we had a small workout. We ran the first 800 at race place to get a feel for Saturday. We picked it up again for 400 during the second mile. Finally, we did a 4x200 on the final stretch of the course. It was another good workout for what could be called the “Superpack.” No longer just 2-5, the pack has become 2-9. John Waller was a difference maker as he was the critical link between the front and the back.

We are pumped and ready to race on Saturday. It’s going to be great.

Senior Kevin Abernathy has made the honorable mention list of the Big River Running Rankings for the second time this season.

Quote of the Day: “We’re going to come back here on Saturday and have some fun”- Coach Traughber

Joke of the Day: “Hey guys, this is where I hurdled to make that big move.”- Matt O’Connor mocking how Kevin likes to tell the story of his pass during the last race at Central.

Best Dressed: Scherping. He wore his Nike XC shirt. It’s a cool shirt, white with a red “XC.” It matched perfectly with his red with white stripes soccer shorts. A simple but effective look.

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Parkway Central

As I said a month ago when we first raced at Central, we are back. The Varsity squad will run at Central on Saturday in the Class 4, District 2 race. Top 4 teams and top 30 individuals advance. It's pretty simple math. Tomorrow, the JV and Freshman will be running in the Clayton Invitational at Shaw Park, with the top 7 times from that meet qualifying for the Challenge Race next Saturday.

The first race tomorrow will be the Varsity. The Varsity squad will be made up of Senior Dan Bowman, Junior Adam Morgenthaler, and Sophomores Michael Callahan, Jimmy Reed, Collin Sullivan, Glen McGann, Justin Potter, Mackenzie Smith, and Freshman Steve Placht. This will be the first time most of these runners will run in a Varsity Race. The Sophomores in particular trained very hard during the summer and are now rewarded by being on Varsity.

The remaining runners will be running in the JV race. Near the front of the large group will be Sophomore Matt Beers.

I have had a good season, and I’ve been getting better. If feel good coming in to the last couple of races, and I want to finish out the season with strong performances. 3. I want to go out and race all the way to the finish line. I want to go out and set a new pr in these races."

Good luck to all the Spartans racing tomorrow.

On Saturday, the playoffs begin. First off will be the Varsity Race. The guys have looked especially good the last week or so. John Madey will rejoin Kevin Abernathy, Nick Martini, Jacob Seiler, Matt O'Connor, Josh Getz, and John Waller for the big race. The goal is pretty simple. If everyone finished in the top 30, we move on no matter what. Madey talked about the small setback and what's to come on Saturday.

"My hamstring issues have kept from 1 race this year (MCC’s). I was truly looking forward to this race, but you just have to get over it, and look to the most important race of the year, which is districts. Besides missing one race, I have had to elipticise for the first time in my career, and I had to opt out of the always amazing Oregon 8 workout."

"Its simple. Be the pack, or lead the pack. My first race at PC this year didn’t go so great. Now that I have learned how to run with the pack, I will be able to be right in the middle of the pack for the whole race.

Because John missed the Conference race, he along with Brian Scherping and Seamus Hamilton raced last week in the Patriot Classic and all ran PRs. John and Brian know it will help Saturday.

"Racing last week proved that I am reaching the top of my game at the right time. By breaking the 17 minute barrier, it showed that by buying into the plan that I have been buying into is paying off. I’m head over heels confident heading into Saturday’s race." Madey

"The race at Castlewood Park made me realize some words of wisdom that I was told is actually true. Coach T-bone said that I can run with the Calvary and that the reason I was not able to was the lack of mental focus and just not believing." Scherp

After the Varsity races, Seniors Brian Scherping and Seamus Hamilton will race the same course with other runners hoping to make the Varsity for their teams at Sectionals. Both runners have come on extremely strong in the last few weeks. Brian is now getting a grip on how to race the 5k.

"I am more confident to run which will help during the run. The fact that all the problems I have been having that I could not run with the Calvary were mental have been fixed"

Everyone knows what Brian's goal will be going into Saturday.

"Number 1!!!! (Number 1!!!!, Number 1!!!!)"

Good luck to all the runners racing Friday and Saturday! Wear your Race Day Black! There will be more dress down days, you have support Race Day Black tomorrow.

From Central
Alex Potter
M.T.B.L.

PSA

Gentelmen,

RACE DAY BLACK > dress down day.

Either you are running in the race tomorrow, or you are going to support the Varsity in the biggest meet of the year so far. That does not happen very often. There will be other dress down days. I for one am going super fancy Race Day Black. Please join me by supporting Race Day Black.

Thank You

White Man Says Go!

Cross here. Cross there. Today was the day of the street crossings. In the Lindberg and back run we crossed at crosswalks so many times that we lost count.

It nice recovery run after yesterday’s time trial and workout. Matt had an impressive game of Spotter. He beat Jacob handedly after being down 2-0. Martini tried to add to his collection of car parts with a wheel well but was denied by Rob.

And now a little something from Glen:

Today marked the longest run of Alex Potter’s cross country season and Pat Callahan and Justin Potter made sure it wasn’t a disappointment. They imagined the run as if we were Romans marching. It was decided by Patrick that I was Marc Antony and Alex was Cleopatra. Later it was revised and Alex became Caesar and we were Roman Senators. Halfway through Potter and I were separated from the rest of the group and we had a variety of conversations with topics including Taylor Swift, previous races, and the blog.

Congratulations to John Madey as he took home Runner of the Week honors for his performance in the super secret Patriot Classic Meet last Thursday. He became only the second Spartan to break the 17 minute barrier this year. Way to go Bulldog! We’re looking forward to having you back in the lineup this weekend.

Quote of the Day: “White man says go!”- Just about the entire top group when every crosswalk signed changed.

Joke of the Day: “Run Around Naked. Kinda.”- The old School Nike ad that Kevin gave Jacob before practice. It was the perfect day for this as Jacob had his maroon flap shorts.