RACE COURSE: Walla Walla Point Park, 5km. A course we’ve run many times before, with a long out-n’-back section and a few tight turns in the second half of the loop. Mostly grass with just a few quick sidewalk crossings. A firmer and shorter ground/grass than usual. Fast running with LOTS of big schools and the largest field of entrants in the history of the meet. Mid 60’s and overcast. A little humid maybe but again excellent running weather!
OVERALL: Wow! First, take a little bit of this day and tuck away in your “I did that!” pocket. You did, and if at any point you need that kind of race again you can pull it out and use it. Tuesday at Okanogan is another day. Twilight is another day. State qualifying is another day. But you did THIS on Saturday, and THAT is what we are capable of as a team. Times aside, this means that we are capable of adapting to a late bus arrival, of eating and hydrating to match your race schedule, of supporting each other and cheering on teammates across another weekend of multiple races, of setting excellent goals… and of already smashing some of them to pieces such that you will calibrate and consider new and different goals for the weeks ahead. At the start of week #5 we are solidly into the “WORK” phase of the season. Come to practice. Run your miles. Do the necessary things. You “did that” and now we keep adding layers to make it even better.
JV GIRLS: 113 Finishers -
Zoe: 28:58, PR, 69th place. 1st Mile: 9:31, Overall Pace: 9:19
A crazy awesome first high school 5K! You said you wanted to finish, feel good, and maybe, someday go under 30 minutes. Well, check, check, and check! You not only showed you can do this, you showed you can get faster each mile. Great job being patient at the start and then having some fun passing people throughout the second half. Next time we’ll go out a little harder, now that we know that finishing is no problem! My favorite part of the race -- you saying at the end “that was fun.”
JV BOYS (9/10): 164 Finishers - 9th place as a team. Because we had at least five runners in this race we get a team score to go along with our individual places. Nice work showing up for each other and for making it a team effort!
A crazy awesome first high school 5K! You said you wanted to finish, feel good, and maybe, someday go under 30 minutes. Well, check, check, and check! You not only showed you can do this, you showed you can get faster each mile. Great job being patient at the start and then having some fun passing people throughout the second half. Next time we’ll go out a little harder, now that we know that finishing is no problem! My favorite part of the race -- you saying at the end “that was fun.”
JV BOYS (9/10): 164 Finishers - 9th place as a team. Because we had at least five runners in this race we get a team score to go along with our individual places. Nice work showing up for each other and for making it a team effort!
Kyler: 20:51, PR, 36th place. 1st Mile: 6:49, Overall Pace: 6:43
Never sleep on Kyler Mitchell! A new 5k PR (fully 50 seconds faster than last last spring) and a negative split pace in the spiked-up season debut. 100% no pressure or expectation that you will knock off time every race, but fun to see you pick up again right where you left off. A really great job in getting your arms involved with that final kick to the finish. Coming by the volleyball courts I could see you change gears, look ahead to the finish, and actively engage. All great stuff for a final kick to the finish. Great first race of the new season Kyler. Onward and upward!
Little T (Tristan H): 21:26, PR, 46th place. 1st Mile: 6:26, Overall Pace: 6:54
An ambitious first mile, but that is where you wanted to be and that is how you wanted to run it. This is great. Honestly, don’t change a thing right now. With not much summer running you are still building fitness for late in the race, but your natural running rhythm and inclination is to get out strong. Keep doing that! You will feel fitter each week and soon enough that 6:20 pace will continue through the whole of the course. Keep thinking too about using those arms. Great how you mention it in your goals and we saw you thinking about it out there when gearing up for the kick. You can do the same thing each and every time that you try to pass someone or want to tuck in behind and catch a ride with a runner just ahead. Quick little drives with your arms will pick your legs up and pull you along. A great 5k opener Tristan. Keep up the excellent work!
Taro: 21:58, PR, 62nd place. 1st Mile: 6:53, Overall Pace: 7:04
Congrats on HS XC race no. 1… and in a HUGE and crowded 5k field at that! Not every race will feel this crazy at the start, but you did well to navigate and we could see you looking for teammates and staying focused on racing with those around you. You kept a good rhythm in your arms and on that second loop worked hard to avoid getting gapped. A strong final kick up the hill as well! Tons of great stuff to build on here, but impressive too, how well-paced this was for your first racing effort. You are mentally tough and even with limited experience you didn’t fall off too much on pace from that opening mile through the finish. Each race is different, and this week at Okanogan we’ll have a more significant hill in the middle of the race and a longer, flatter kick to the finish. Great to have you on the team!
Malloch: 23:23, PR, 100th place. 1st Mile: 7:25, Overall Pace: 7:32
Another excellent race Malloch and you are just simply much stronger after a summer of runs to Perrygin Lake and the other bits and pieces of running work/biking that you were able to do. Your first mile to final pace ratio is great, but I’m surprised even that you didn’t end up running faster in the second half. You were passing SO many people and you look really loose, relaxed, and fluid. One thing that you could work on is maybe just a little less movement in your head and neck. Less side-to-side in your upper body will translate to even more efficient movement down the trail. Great racing again in your HS 5k debut!
Hunter: 32:48, PR, 160th place. 1st Mile: 10:11, Overall Pace: 10:33
XC race number two and with an extra mile to boot! Nice job again Hunter and a steady pace overall that will definitely get faster in the weeks ahead. Two things to help in our next race at Okanogan, 1.) Be sure to be dressed for running when we board the bus. We won’t have too many other races with such gigantic lines for the bathroom, but all of that waiting definitely cut into your warmup time. And 2.) your first race and your paces so far in practice show that you can get out even a little bit faster. This was a farther race or course and all of this is new, but your first mile last week was 8:35 and you can handle something closer to 9 or 9:15 for even the longer distance. You are stronger than you think. Keep up the great work!
JV BOYS (11/12): 102 Finishers
Tristan: 19:20, 18th place, 1st Mile: 6:04, 2nd Mile: 12:09, Overall Pace: 6:13
Gutsy running Tristan and awesome to see you going for it in that first 800 to put yourself firmly near the front of that race. Those are big-school numbers of kids that we were racing -- programs with double or quadruple our numbers and you just said “I should be near the front of this race.” You totally crushed that first two miles, raced the pack around you with no worries, and the final stretch is going to fall into place very soon. You ran 20:53 here at the same weeks of the season during freshman year and you just ran as fast as your freshman Twilight time on a much slower course and two weekends earlier. You are a fast runner on a fast team. We are deep as a group and your running, leadership, and ability at any moment to be a top seven member (on that already fast team) make us tough as nails all the way around!
Gutsy running Tristan and awesome to see you going for it in that first 800 to put yourself firmly near the front of that race. Those are big-school numbers of kids that we were racing -- programs with double or quadruple our numbers and you just said “I should be near the front of this race.” You totally crushed that first two miles, raced the pack around you with no worries, and the final stretch is going to fall into place very soon. You ran 20:53 here at the same weeks of the season during freshman year and you just ran as fast as your freshman Twilight time on a much slower course and two weekends earlier. You are a fast runner on a fast team. We are deep as a group and your running, leadership, and ability at any moment to be a top seven member (on that already fast team) make us tough as nails all the way around!
Madison: 26:05, 90th place. 1st Mile: 7:23, Overall Pace: 8:24
What a difference a season of experience makes! You launched into this first 5k and finished very near your best time from the spring. Nothing but up from here, and each race is going to feel more and more solid as we get a few more miles under the belt and few more speed sessions in. 7:23 for an opening mile is a terrific ballpark for now. Don’t change a thing! In the next race or two you’ll hold that longer and the sub 21min goal will be more and more tangible for sure. Work on that goal of more stretching and rolling to keep things loose. More of that hopefully = less soreness and more ability to feel good when it counts. Back to Okanogan on Tuesday and you are a TOTALLY different runner then you were in April!
VARSITY GIRLS: 154 Finishers. 5th place out of 21 teams! Well, my goodness. That sure was a tremendous effort from every single one of you. It was a pure pleasure to watch. You each looked determined and confident and ready to show up for each other. Loved the way you all gathered up outside the finish shoot and celebrated each other! We may be small in number but we are a fierce team!
Jori: 20:18, 10th place, 1st Mile: 6:30, Overall Pace: 6:32
Brilliant! Simply perfect execution of a race plan and terrific senior leadership. You got out right to that sweet spot of the front-but-not-front of the race and you pulled your sophomores right with you. The three of you were an intimidating sight out there -- the whole way together. This was a phenomenal race -- at least 30 seconds faster than ever on this course -- and if my records are right you (all three) ran the second fastest LBHS time on that course. This is going to be a good season.
Leki: 20:19, PR, 11th place, 1st Mile: 6:30, Overall Pace: 6:32
Such a good read on your part to know that you felt ready to race and that this was the right race to start with. You did everything you needed to do -- stuck right with your teammates, zoned out when you needed to, and put the focus and quick steps in at the key moments. Your confidence should be up, your nerves for big races should be down, and you should take great inspiration from the fact that you looked very very within yourself the whole way.
Congratulations! You made that wickedly fast race look like just a fun run with friends in the park. Look at that even pacing you three held -- that’s a coach’s dream this early in the season. I love that you worked hard AND that you said it was fun. That is a very fast first high school 5K time on a course that is not known for being fast. You just got out there, did the work, and let good things happen. Let’s keep up the group/pack running and keep finding strength in each other.
Payten: 22:18, PR, 59th place, 1st Mile: 7:09, Overall Pace: 7:11
My, oh my. What a season you are having. You’ve decided you are not only a runner but a racer. You are welcoming the nerves as a sign you are ready to race and you are embracing the moments of hard and pain as something you know you can get through. This wasn’t just a PR, this was a smashing of your personal best on any course by about a minute. Just keep doing what you are doing -- getting out hard, believing in your ability, racing those around you, and bringing that positive attitude to each workout.
Ayeanna: 23:27, PR, 79th place, 1st Mile: 7:23, Overall Pace: 7:33
We are so excited for you. What a great race! You kicked off this season’s 5K racing with a time faster than you were running at the end of your very very strong sophomore season. That should be a huge boost -- and as this season progresses you are only going to get faster. Your overall pace this week was faster than for 2 miles last weekend. I thought you did a good job getting out, AND I still think you can get out a little harder -- we’ll give that a go at Twilight! You’re an important contributor to this team in so many ways.
Sandra: 24:00, PR, 94th place, 1st Mile: 7:50, Overall Pace: 7:43
There is so much to say about this race. It was simply phenomenal! I know you weren’t sure about going out harder, but I so appreciate that you trusted us and you did. And, you were so ready for it--in fact, you ran the next two miles even faster than the first, which was already faster than any cross-country mile you had raced yet! That confirms for me what I had been thinking--you like to race and the difference on Saturday was that you got into the race with people running faster, so you went faster. This is like a two and half minute PR -- that’s unbelievable. AND, you’ve still got more in you this season. What fun!!
VARSITY BOYS: 207 Finishers. 4th place out of 28 teams!
Dexter: 16:20, PR, 6th place, 1st Mile: 5:14, Overall Pace: 5:15
Another sweet race with an exclamation point/kick at the finish that I didn’t quite see coming. Two races in a row where you had a race the whole way through, but a great job especially in finding that early pace for the mile in and in trusting your gut that the pace was sustainable for your first official HS 5k. Those are big-school boys on ranked teams from 1A Ninemile Falls (1) all the way to 4A Henry Jackson (7) and you took ‘em to task like we belonged there -- and we do! A little different, less urgent feeling day on Tuesday but it should be a fun race in Okanogan.
Will: 16:33, PR, 14th place, 1st Mile: 5:17, Overall Pace: 5:20
Dang skippy. That was real Will Halpin! Such tough racing and very impressive how much you put yourself near the front of the race with all of those big-school runners and just went for it. Great efforts as well to get connected up right behind Dexter before moving out into that second lap and the long stretch away from the start. A quick start and that mid-race toughness made your race for sure. Take a deep breath now and just strive for consistent, solid racing. Not every meet will warrant that kind of whole body effort or focus, but you can walk away each race with one new arrow in your quiver: a push in the middle, a fast downhill lean, three quick steps to drop someone or connect to a group, quick arms at the finish etc. Great racing. Congrats!
Graham: 17:20, PR, 25th place, 1st Mile: 5:25, Overall Pace: 5:35
A new 5k PR and fully 1+ minute faster than your race on this same course freshman year. Also excellent but not surprising that you basically kept the same pace for your 2mi and just stretched it out for 5k. You are strong. You are mentally tough. You have endurance. Lots of adaptation to come and we will get to push a little more on the speed front in the week leading up to Twilight. Keep packing it up with teammates too, and we should have some good competition from Cascade at Okanogan. Good luck on the bike as well this weekend!
Aksel: 17:37, PR, 37th place, 1st Mile: 5:33, Overall Pace: 5:40
A 37 second improvement over basically the same course from last spring. Great work Aksel and we really appreciate both your patience with the slightly modified workouts this week and for the continued excellent approach to patience and moving up through your races. And just like on the Tuesday hill workout, you still had an extra gear for that final kick to the finish line!
Carter: 17:39, PR, 38th place, 1st Mile: 5:25, Overall Pace: 5:41
Also a new 5k PR and about 1:15 faster than your Wenatchee race during freshman year. Great pack running with you and Graham early on and we can probably get Isaiah and Aksel tighter into that mix with you in the smaller race tomorrow at Okanogan. You are doing a great job so far in taking shorter, quicker steps when you build to your kick or put in a surge. The strength in your upper body and good use (quick driving) with your arms is so much more noticeable than in freshman year, plus you also seem a lot more patient and focused out there on the course. Great racing Carter and lots more of that to come. Have a great mt. bike race this coming weekend as well!
Isaiah: 17:58, 49th place, 1st Mile: 5:30, Overall Pace: 5:47
Another excellent race Isaiah and proof positive again that you are well ahead of the game from the last two years. You ran 19:36 at Wenatchee in 2019 and didn’t break 18 until Hole in the Wall. This is a fast team with a capital ‘T’ and no matter where you land in our top seven you are contributing to something special. That awesome kick off the corner shows that you have strength and speed to burn. Yes, you can spread it out a little more over the race for sure, but still, 17:58 is nothing to sneeze at right now. Whenever you turn it on like that in the last 150m (because you do have an excellent kick) you put some major hurt on other teams. In a tight finish like this or Twilight or State, your ability to blow people away slices 10-15 points from any team score that we might get. Keep putting in the work. Keep throwing down at the end. All for one and one for all!
Jackson: 19:07, 103rd place, 1st Mile: 5:42, Overall Pace: 6:09
So glad to see you getting out and into the mix early. Like you said, that seemed like the necessary thing to do and you were right to follow that instinct. You managed the hurt just fine and that kind of thing will get better each week. You ran 21:12 here on essentially the same weekend during freshman year. You are right where you need to be and racing with the guts and instinct of a junior. We are a fast team and you are a big part of making this team as deep and hard to beat as possible. We have a real shot at being one of the top teams in the state this year and I hope that you are excited to make that happen!