“The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep on running.” -Unknown
At my aforementioned small school, high school was grades 7-12. For cross country and track (distance events), we had one coach that trained every athlete from the scared, out-of-shape seventh grader to the confident, varsity standout. Mr. Hasleiet, affectionately referred to as Chief, was a well-known and well-loved coach who had established a legacy of excellence at our school. Under his guidance, I grew to love running. Thanks to him, I became a runner.
It didn’t come easily, though. While I loved the sports I had chosen, I wasn’t necessarily successful. In fact, I struggled. I showed up every day, rarely missing a day of practice, but I hadn’t yet discovered how to push myself and that translated into less than satisfactory race performances. I found, as perhaps many youngsters do, that being around friends is part of the fun of being on a team. Some of us were having too much fun flirting with the boys to concentrate on running hard (cross country and track were two sports where the boys and girls practiced together). And, it was way more entertaining to play pranks and act silly than to take seriously our warm ups and cool downs.
But eventually, some level of maturity set in and so did my respect for the sport. And wow, I discovered what a privilege it was to be on a team… to be on THE Elgin-Millville cross country and track teams. We enjoyed many benefits. Our training runs took us off school property to the nearby park, all around the local community and, occasionally, the apple orchard where the owners allowed us to take an apple after our workouts. We got to embark on overnight trips for invitationals. Before big meets, we were treated to pasta dinners hosted by generous and supportive parents. And all levels of athletes trained as one team, so from an early age we had built in mentors and role models (and later became those mentors and role models).
My work ethic improved as well, once I discovered that this led to improved results (what a concept!). I still didn’t consider myself “good”, though admittedly I was often very hard on myself, especially at a young age. My school also had very successful running programs. Whatever my perceived deficiencies and obstacles, it was because of the depth and strength of our teams. At another school, I would have been a “better” runner and ran more varsity races. And the excuses went on. A typical teenage reasoning!
I did, however, experience some respectable achievements in high school. Here are the ones that immediately come to mind:
- In cross country, I mostly ran junior high/junior varsity every year but my senior year. Though my times were sometimes fast enough to earn a spot on the varsity squad, the coach left me on JV so that a senior could take their rightful and deserved spot on varsity. This was something I understood and was okay with, as I knew it was something that would benefit me when the roles were reversed. Being on the JV team wasn’t all bad. In fact, I ended up winning two races! I still chuckle when I think back to those races. I can remember nearing the finish line and seeing Chief wildly waving his arms in the air. At first, I thought maybe something was wrong, but I soon realized he was making sure I knew where the finish line was, seeing as that I was normally following someone! The trophies I earned in those two races are still cherished running keepsakes.
- When the varsity cross country team advanced to the state meet one year, I was asked to go along as an alternate. Though I wasn’t close to being the 8th or even 9th runner and it was very unlikely I’d be needed, my work ethic had earned me the honor of accompanying the team. It was one of the few times I was thrilled to be carrying sweats, because it meant so much more.
- In track, it was a big deal to me when I broke 13 minutes in the 2 mile, and ran under 6 minutes in the 1 mile (though it was just by a tick!). I recall the 2 mile accomplishment with extra fondness. Normally someone who liked to run alone, against every bit of advice from Chief, I stuck with two girls during this race. In fact, I ran so closely to them that twice the official told me I needed to back off a bit.
- I contributed to one track True Team Championship and one 2nd place finish by earning valuable points in the 2 mile.
- My biggest and most memorable honor, though, came my senior year. In addition to being one of the captains of the cross country team, I was also selected as MVP by my coach. Even in my senior year, I wasn’t the swiftest runner on the team and struggled to stay on varsity. But in Chief’s eyes, my contributions to the team were worthy enough of earning the highest honor (this would rank as one of those achievements I cannot think about without choking up). This award, too, is one of my most valued running possessions.
So as you can see, when I reflect upon my high school running career, I can only recall a handful of achievements. Being on these teams, in the end, was about so much more than any statistic or medal. It was always about the discipline, commitment, and team camaraderie. It was about sticking with something through good and bad. It was about respect- for the sport, our coach, our school, and each other. I ran with some of my teammates for six seasons of cross country and six seasons of track. That was a very special bond. It would be hard to leave that behind after graduation. However, after I graduated high school, I would discover an unexpected surprise was ahead for my running career…