Braves,
What a week we just had. We had some tough workouts that
culminated in some tough races and we ended the week as better runners, and a
better team than when we began the week. The practices this week and the races
on Friday were probably the most fun of the year. Let’s keep having fun,
working hard, and getting better each day. If we can do that then the results
will take care of themselves.
Friday afternoon we drove up to Utah State for the Aggie
invitational. Once again the effort from each one of you was outstanding. There
wasn’t a single runner who looked like they were taking it easy. There were a
lot of highlights on the day so I won’t be able to mention them all, but I will
talk about a few. Our freshman had an outstanding day: Olivia Harrison improved
by over three minutes from the pre-region race, Naomi improved by nearly a
minute, and both Ethan and Trisha were the 3rd overall fastest
freshmen at the meet. After the varsity boys race one of the kids simply said
“Nate is a beast.” That is one way to describe a kid who started the race 20
seconds behind everyone due to a bib mishap, but was still able to pass nearly
30 kids, in a varsity race. He showed a lot of heart that will be crucial for
our team down the stretch of the season.
The girls varsity race was one of the best races we have
seen since coming to Bountiful High. Our top two girls, Anna Sophia and Laurie,
both medaled by finishing in the top 15. Anna Sophia was in 15th
through the first mile, and continued to run consistently the rest of the way
and just kept passing people and ended up in 5th place, after
finishing in 29th the year before, and ran almost 1:30 faster as
well. Laurie showed the same persistence that we have gotten used to seeing
every day and made some good things happen in the race. She had a goal going in
and was able to reach that goal of being top 15, which isn’t easy in a field of
nearly 150 girls. In Sophia’s first full-length (3+ miles) cross country race,
she had a monster finish after a great race to finish 21st. Belle
mentioned that she had a bad race on this course last season, but on Friday she
had an awesome race, and showed some great determination and resiliency. Trisha
just keeps impressing us and running great races. Finishing as the 3rd
freshman at the meet is a huge accomplishment and 31st overall in
the varsity race (143 runners) is extremely impressive. Each runner finished
high enough that the team was 2nd overall, and the 1st
Utah team of all classifications. In a field of 21 teams that is an enormous
accomplishment. Though it was 5 girls who scored points for the team, it is a
TEAM accomplishment, and every member of the team plays a vital role in every
team accomplishment. Contributions made in practice and to our team culture
cannot be measured, but truly pave the way for a successful team. Friday was
another step down that path, and it was an extremely fun day/trip, but there is
much work yet to be done.
We are excited about how the team performed Friday because
it comes as a result of great team work and some hard running that we have put
in all summer. The bulk of the season is still ahead, so let’s use the momentum
of this past week to get better this week and continue to see improvements. I
commend each of you for making this week of practice fun for each other, having
a positive attitude each day, and running hard. This sport is fun when we are
working hard, staying positive, and enjoying the process. Doing that leads to
great team results. Let’s just keep it rolling.
For the coming week, we will not be holding an official
practice on Monday (Labor day) but we will be practicing hard when we resume to
school on Tuesday. We recommend getting together with your teammates and going
for a 60 minute run together. If you are out of town, do that run on your own.
On Wednesday we will be hosting a meet at Mueller Park JH. We will be racing,
but won’t be going 100%, and will go for a longer run after the race. We will
need all of your help to set up and manage the meet. Because of the difficulty
in hosting a meet we expect each athlete to be there until they are dismissed.
With all your help we won’t be there beyond 6 PM, but plan accordingly. We
could use some parent volunteers to be at a few spots on the course to direct
traffic. We would only need you from 3-4:45. Let me know if you are available
to help.
On Friday we will be heading to the Murray Invitational,
which is one of the biggest races of the year. It is a great opportunity to
race against elite competition and get ourselves better as a result.
We appreciate your hard work. The season is beginning to go
really fast, so enjoy each moment; it will be over before we know it. Enjoy
your day off of school and we will see you Tuesday. If you have any questions
or need anything, please let me know.
Coach Jacobson
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