Sporting new bright red and white uniforms, some members of the Osawatomie boys’ cross country team started training for the season during the summer. They ran five days a week, 10 miles per day for the past two months. Members of the boys’ team are (front row, from left) Montana Dunn, Luke Billingsley, Michael DelValle, Kyle Kjar, Eli Waddle, (back row) Trevor Cooley, Brendan Soucie, Travis Marsh, Cody Goff and Ben Davis. Not pictured are Dustin Kueser, William Wilson and Ryan Cater. (Photo by David Wolman)
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Trojans Hope Offseason Training Pays Off
Members Of Osawatomie Squad Trained Five Days Per Week In Summer
BY DAVID WOLMAN, DAVIDWOLMAN@MICONEWS.COM
Sporting bright red and white uniforms, with the letter “X” and the word “country” imprinted on them, the Osawatomie boys’ cross country team broke into their new uniforms, designed by Trojans’ coach Amber Campbell, for the first time this season Friday for team picture day.
Before the pictures were taken — and even before they tied their shoelaces Aug. 18 for the first day of team practice — some of the Trojans already had hundreds of miles under their belt.
Osawatomie won the inaugural Pioneer League boys’ team title last season, and this group would like to do nothing more than repeat as champions. They also wanted to be in good shape by the first day of practice.
Brendan Soucie, Travis Marsh, Cody Goff, recent graduate Brandon Garcia and Daniel Holmes of Paola trained together over the summer.
Starting in the beginning of July, they ran eight to 10 miles per day, five days a week, around Miola Lake and through the streets of Osawatomie.
Hard work put in last summer by Garcia, who now runs cross country at Ottawa University, paid off last fall. He drove to Shawnee Mission Park several days each week, where he trained on its challenging, hilly, seven-and-a-half mile course. The results spoke for themselves. He won the boys’ individual league title and placed fourth in the regional meet, qualifying for state, become the first Trojan to do so since coach Campbell qualified in 1992.
Soucie believes Garcia’s dedication set a good example for the Trojans.
“I saw how well he did and figured how well I would do if I did all of the training he did,” Soucie said.
More than just being inspired by Garcia’s performance, the Trojans didn’t want to be rusty when fall practice started.
“We just wanted to make the beginning of practice easier,” Goff said. “I didn’t work really hard over the summer last year.”
Goff noticed a big difference.
“I started out a lot faster,” he said.
Goff, a senior, is interested in running cross country in college, but he has not yet received any offers. He hopes the results of his hard work help him get noticed.
For a team seeking a second straight league title, the intensity felt during their summer workouts has carried over into fall practice.
“We’ve been pushing each other in practice,” Goff said. “I think we’re going to do real good as a team.”
Garcia was the top finisher in each meet for the Trojans last season. This year’s team could have a little more balance to it, as anybody could step up and be the top finisher.
“I think we can all interchange,” Soucie said. “It just depends on the day, how you feel. In practice, most of us having been running as a pack, which hopefully we’ll do in the meets.”
After not having any runners qualify for state for 15 years, the boys’ team wants to continue where Garcia left off. They also hope to add another league title to their trophy case.
“We’re hoping so,” Goff said. “That’s one of our goals.”
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Before the pictures were taken — and even before they tied their shoelaces Aug. 18 for the first day of team practice — some of the Trojans already had hundreds of miles under their belt.
Osawatomie won the inaugural Pioneer League boys’ team title last season, and this group would like to do nothing more than repeat as champions. They also wanted to be in good shape by the first day of practice.
Brendan Soucie, Travis Marsh, Cody Goff, recent graduate Brandon Garcia and Daniel Holmes of Paola trained together over the summer.
Starting in the beginning of July, they ran eight to 10 miles per day, five days a week, around Miola Lake and through the streets of Osawatomie.
Hard work put in last summer by Garcia, who now runs cross country at Ottawa University, paid off last fall. He drove to Shawnee Mission Park several days each week, where he trained on its challenging, hilly, seven-and-a-half mile course. The results spoke for themselves. He won the boys’ individual league title and placed fourth in the regional meet, qualifying for state, become the first Trojan to do so since coach Campbell qualified in 1992.
Soucie believes Garcia’s dedication set a good example for the Trojans.
“I saw how well he did and figured how well I would do if I did all of the training he did,” Soucie said.
More than just being inspired by Garcia’s performance, the Trojans didn’t want to be rusty when fall practice started.
“We just wanted to make the beginning of practice easier,” Goff said. “I didn’t work really hard over the summer last year.”
Goff noticed a big difference.
“I started out a lot faster,” he said.
Goff, a senior, is interested in running cross country in college, but he has not yet received any offers. He hopes the results of his hard work help him get noticed.
For a team seeking a second straight league title, the intensity felt during their summer workouts has carried over into fall practice.
“We’ve been pushing each other in practice,” Goff said. “I think we’re going to do real good as a team.”
Garcia was the top finisher in each meet for the Trojans last season. This year’s team could have a little more balance to it, as anybody could step up and be the top finisher.
“I think we can all interchange,” Soucie said. “It just depends on the day, how you feel. In practice, most of us having been running as a pack, which hopefully we’ll do in the meets.”
After not having any runners qualify for state for 15 years, the boys’ team wants to continue where Garcia left off. They also hope to add another league title to their trophy case.
“We’re hoping so,” Goff said. “That’s one of our goals.”