To close the 2024-25 cross country season, both the girls’ and boys’ cross country teams ran and placed first at Nike Cross Regionals (NXR), Nov. 17, securing a spot at nationals. While both teams performed well using similar strategies, the goals for the two teams differed.
“We missed our target at state this year, so you could see a very driven group of kids coming into NXR,” head varsity girls’ cross country coach Tim McDonald said.
While a 3rd place finish after an anticipated win was difficult for the athletes to swallow, they took charge during NXR. The coaches instructed them to start slower in the first 1000 meters because the following 4000 meters were uphill. Starting slow may have felt like a setback, but as they continued on through the course, it was clear was their best strategy.
“We were in about 7th or 8th place at the mile mark, and we were leading by the two mile mark,” McDonald said. “They worked together really well, as they have always done, and just kept on passing.”
After running a strong race and winning NXR, they set their sights on the national meet, NXN. Since last year was their first time attending NXN, there was less push to be competitive and more emphasis on enjoying the experience. The coaches and athletes have made it clear that this year is about improving on how they did last year and seeing just how far they can go.
“Our goal coming into the NXN meet is to turn two digits into one digit. We were 16th in the nation last year, and our goal is to finish ninth or higher. It’s a target and we might miss it, but it’s something to work for,” McDonald said.
The girls ran an exceptional race at NXN, placing 11th in the nation Dec. 7. The boys’ cross country team was excited to compete at NXR after coming off of their second consecutive state championship title.
“We wanted to be careful at the beginning of the race because it was so downhill, so we made sure to have controlled aggression going out,” head varsity boys’ cross country coach John Sipple said. Since NXN is a national meet, runners are coming from all over the country. These runners compete in different climates and terrains, therefore giving them different skill sets and potential advantages.
“There’s a number of really good teams there. I think we’re in the upper threshold of those but it’s just always so close,” Sipple said. The boys’ team had an outstanding performance at NXN, placing 6th overall. Senior Grant Schroder placed 24th in the nation. By disregarding individual runners to establish team scores, Schroder earned 15 points for his team.
“I wanted to try to be an All American, which is top 21,” Schroder said. “I stuck to my race plan of just getting out around top 30, where I would be able to put myself in a position close to top 21.”
