Competing at the Middle School Cross Country State Championship last weekend, the College View boys’ team claimed first with a team score of 119, beating rival and second place Noe Middle School by 75 points.
Entering the race, College View coaches Wes McDonald and Derek Austin wanted their team to be mentally prepared. The course wasn’t spectator-friendly and there were only a few sections that the coaching staff could be at that would allow them to communicate with their team, he said.
“Beforehand, we were trying to figure out the way to get the best possible start,” McDonald said. “We wanted to have the right runners in the correct boxes. After the gun went off we had some runners get in good positions and I told my runners to move up one at a time and compete with those near you.”
Joe Edge led the way for College View, running a 14:06.82 and finishing 12th overall. Axton Alvey (15th, 14:10.03), Landon Thompson (22nd, 14:28.30), Colton Bivins (56th, 15:06.22), and Cole Hosman (66th, 15:15.76) rounded out the team’s top five times.
Part of the team’s success stemmed from the boys remembering their three goals, which McDonald put on wristbands that he gave to them.
“Early on in the summer I told our teams we had three goals,” McDonald said. “Be one percent better every day and do what you can to get that one percent. By the end of the year that adds up. The second goal is fist bumps. Be here for the team and support each other. The third goal was to be where your feet are. I didn’t want the boys to get wrapped up in the past or future, and we reminded them weekly to not get caught looking ahead.”
With one of the younger rosters over the last few years, College View had struggled against the older competition. With McDonald and Austins’ team now older, at the start of the season, they believed their team could finish in the top five. It wasn’t until the halfway mark of the season when College View realized they had a legitimate chance of becoming state champs and just had to prove it.
“It’s been pretty cool to have kids on the team that have leadership qualities,” McDonald said. “They were able to help each other achieve their goals. I am happy for my team. It is something they have wanted and were in the position to earn. To go out and achieve it makes me happy.”
