Prairie View runners take to the course for a run during practice two weeks ago. There are five newcomers for the Buffalos this season. Prairie View travels to Garnett Thursday for its season opener at Anderson County. (Photo by David Wolman)
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Newcomers Not ‘New’ To Nelson
Five Buffalos Running Cross Country For First Time, But Familiar With Coach
BY DAVID WOLMAN, DAVIDWOLMAN@MICONEWS.COM
Officially, they’re categorized as newcomers.
Five runners will be competing in cross country for the first time this season at Prairie View. That’s half the team.
But in a way, they’re not newcomers. Coach Lori Nelson has had them as students in her class or on the track team.
“It doesn’t necessarily feel like they’re new,” Nelson said. “I know their work ethics. It’s great to have new faces that bring in a new spirit.”
Kelli Rauber, Rymington Fulks, Tyler Brown, Logan Smith, Eric Noel are the newcomers, and all of them have a solid background in athletics.
Rauber, a senior, and Brown, a sophomore, are middle-distance runners in track. Nelson believes Rauber has the potential to garner first- or second-team Pioneer League honors this season.
“They’ve got the running mentality already, we just have to adjust them to longer distances,” Nelson said.
Noel, a junior, has decided to try cross country after playing football the last several years.
“He’s done a really good job of staying up with Seth Diehm, who has been running for two years,” Nelson said. “(Noel’s) been pushing it every practice.”
Smith has not played in competitive sports for the last couple of years, but a strong work ethic allowed him to come into fall practice in terrific shape.
“He works out a lot and trains probably more than the other athletes in the off-season,” Nelson said.
Fulks, a freshman, is also showing great potential.
The boys and some of the girls will start the season on the junior varsity.
“It’s too early to push them up (to the varsity level),” Nelson said. “I’d like them to have some success as the JV level before we move them up.”
The newcomers have boosted the energy level. During the first two weeks of practice, sometimes they’ve been the ones setting the tone.
“I think the new ones are pushing themselves,” Nelson said. “They’re trying to stay up with the veterans, even going beyond them in some of the practices.”
Adjusting to cross country comes with its share of bumps and bruises along the way.
“Usually they come out pretty excited and working really hard the first several days,” Nelson said. “Now, we’re getting to where some of them are experiencing some soreness. It’s a little bit harder to convince them of that. They needed a break over the weekend to get rested.”
The Buffalos will need it. Another grueling week of practice starts again today.
A former cross country runner herself at Iola, Nelson speaks from experience when she tells her team that persistence is the key to being successful in the sport.
“It’s not easy,” she said. “We need them to come out and run and push themselves every day. We need to get them out of their comfort zone.”
Perhaps the biggest adjustment for the newest Buffalos, especially Rauber and Brown, is that the whole team goes through the same type of training.
“We’re not having to split up between short and long distances,” Nelson said. “The difference is to try to get in at least two to two-and-a-half times the race distance.”
Prairie View opens the season Thursday at Anderson County.
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Five runners will be competing in cross country for the first time this season at Prairie View. That’s half the team.
But in a way, they’re not newcomers. Coach Lori Nelson has had them as students in her class or on the track team.
“It doesn’t necessarily feel like they’re new,” Nelson said. “I know their work ethics. It’s great to have new faces that bring in a new spirit.”
Kelli Rauber, Rymington Fulks, Tyler Brown, Logan Smith, Eric Noel are the newcomers, and all of them have a solid background in athletics.
Rauber, a senior, and Brown, a sophomore, are middle-distance runners in track. Nelson believes Rauber has the potential to garner first- or second-team Pioneer League honors this season.
“They’ve got the running mentality already, we just have to adjust them to longer distances,” Nelson said.
Noel, a junior, has decided to try cross country after playing football the last several years.
“He’s done a really good job of staying up with Seth Diehm, who has been running for two years,” Nelson said. “(Noel’s) been pushing it every practice.”
Smith has not played in competitive sports for the last couple of years, but a strong work ethic allowed him to come into fall practice in terrific shape.
“He works out a lot and trains probably more than the other athletes in the off-season,” Nelson said.
Fulks, a freshman, is also showing great potential.
The boys and some of the girls will start the season on the junior varsity.
“It’s too early to push them up (to the varsity level),” Nelson said. “I’d like them to have some success as the JV level before we move them up.”
The newcomers have boosted the energy level. During the first two weeks of practice, sometimes they’ve been the ones setting the tone.
“I think the new ones are pushing themselves,” Nelson said. “They’re trying to stay up with the veterans, even going beyond them in some of the practices.”
Adjusting to cross country comes with its share of bumps and bruises along the way.
“Usually they come out pretty excited and working really hard the first several days,” Nelson said. “Now, we’re getting to where some of them are experiencing some soreness. It’s a little bit harder to convince them of that. They needed a break over the weekend to get rested.”
The Buffalos will need it. Another grueling week of practice starts again today.
A former cross country runner herself at Iola, Nelson speaks from experience when she tells her team that persistence is the key to being successful in the sport.
“It’s not easy,” she said. “We need them to come out and run and push themselves every day. We need to get them out of their comfort zone.”
Perhaps the biggest adjustment for the newest Buffalos, especially Rauber and Brown, is that the whole team goes through the same type of training.
“We’re not having to split up between short and long distances,” Nelson said. “The difference is to try to get in at least two to two-and-a-half times the race distance.”
Prairie View opens the season Thursday at Anderson County.