Hard work over time beats talent; goal-oriented people find ways; every day is a great day. These are the boys’ cross country team’s key quotes, and they have found great success from living by these quotes.
“It’s not always the most talented who wins the race; a lot of the times it’s the kid who worked harder,” Courtney May, assistant cross country coach, said.
To ensure success in their races, the boys’ cross country team tries to cultivate talent and stress hard work’s importance.
The boys train hard all season long, running 60-80 miles on average each week. Once the season ends, many of the boys continue to run individually or join the Polar Bears, a group of students who run in the winter regardless of the elements.
“[Cross country is] a sport where you either use it or you lose it,” Alex Milner, junior, said. “If you stop training, you’re not going to be good anymore. You have to keep going to be the best.”
The boys attribute constant training to reaching personal and team goals. However, reaching these goals is not always easy, and the runners must be truly dedicated to put in the hard work and to endure the mental aspect involved.
“[What separates cross country is] the ability to tough through not only the pain and the constant sweating, the constant physical effort that it takes to run at eight miles at a time, but through the mental pain as well,” Pat Juras, senior, said.
Cross country relies on mental toughness, as runners are constantly pushing themselves. In a race, the runners must ignore physical pain and keep going. The boys also must strive to train throughout the year despite harsh weather and busy schedules
Bobby Klett, junior, has run daily for over 250 days straight. He says the earliest time he ran was about 4am so he could get in a workout before leaving for vacation. Klett trains every day to stay on top of his game.
Living in LZ, the boys also have to face running in a climate with extreme temperatures. Klett and Herman ran during the blizzard last winter and are both involved with the Polar Bears.
“Every day, no matter if it’s 110 degrees or negative 10 degrees, you have to be outside running,” Jack Herman, sophomore, said.
Although cross country is commonly viewed as an individual sport, everyone’s scores are important to winning a meet. All of the boys interviewed consider the team to be extremely close, which they say helps them be successful.”
“We help motivate each other; we’re very close,” Juras said. “[At practice] we run as a team. At meets we warm up as a team, cool down as a team, do pushups and stretches as a team, we bond together as a team. I think having that team attitude is very important to motivating people and making them want to do better.
While the boys are often faced with challenges, they try to look at every day in a positive way.
“Every day at the start of practice we have a log book session where [Coach Hanson] provides them with motivational quotes and stories,” May said. “They’re reminded every day why they’re here.”
The boys’ positive outlook combined with their commitment has paid off in recent years. Since Coach Hanson began coaching in 2006, the boys have won conference five times, regionals three times, qualified for the state championship three times, and were runners up in the state championships in 2006. Hanson was named coach of the year for the 2010-2011 season.
“It’s a reward for the team and for the program and all the work the boys put in,” J.B. Hanson, head cross country coach, said. “It’s a reflection of their hard work.”
This year, the boys finished 12th at the state meet, and Juras won 7th overall.
“I’m just really proud of them and what they’ve been able to accomplish over the years,” May said. “I’m usually in awe at what they’re able to do and what they do for their teammates, for us. They are such a positive influence on a lot of people.”
Sidebar: Coach Hanson, 2010-2011 Coach of the Year
Boys’ cross country coach, J.B. Hanson, was named the 2010-2011 IHSA Coach of the Year.
“It’s a reward for the team and for the program and all the work the boys put in,” J.B. Hanson, head cross country coach, said.
Since joining the program in 2006, the boys have won numerous awards. This year’s seniors can even say that they have never lost in the conference.
“[The award] is a reflection of their hard work,” Hanson said.