A Successful Season

Last night was the XC banquet put on by none other than our wonderful coaches (except for that dude with the beard, what is his name again??). When my family and I arrived, we were greeted by a wide array of scents created by the literal smorger's board of food that everyone brought. We sat down with the Gregersons and the Crofts (nice folks), and quickly discovered the sheets of paper informing us which rooms we will be staying in whilst in California for the Foot Locker Race. I was quite pleased to discover that I would be bunking with Ryan, Matt, and Daniel. Coach Olsen informed Matt and I that there were two beds per room, so we are not sure how it is going to go down, but Matt and myself were more than willing to sleep on the floor...

Soon there after Coach asked us to discuss some of the themes we experienced this year. Team unity was a prominent feature of the season for me, as were perseverance, dedication, humbleness, and taking every race seriously. These were the values that I believe allowed us to grow as a team, and perform so well at the Region and State meets. The greatest factor in our success, in my eyes, was Coach Olsen. From June 9 to this very day, he has given nothing less than his full dedication to our health, future, happiness, and success. He has taught me life values such as true commitment, pain, and of course, a love for running. Sixth months of dedication towards my teammates and school has not only created deep friendships, but an appreciation for the time and effort each person has poured into this program. As runners we sacrifice valuable homework and free time, but with each step become stronger individuals. Anyways, I am thankful for the wonderful coaching staff & captains and the guidance they provided. I can't imagine life without running, and plan on doing throughout my life... including track season :)