XC Times For September 29, 2018

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The Dan Huston Invitational XC Times Editorial Board

This week the Storm face their biggest challenge yet. It is an opportunity to see how we stack up against the conference and regional completion.

The Women’s Race We are excited about the women’s race this week, because we want to show off our fab-freshmen. With Senior leadership by Shelby Hunemiller and Kaylee Willadsen our younger runners are in good hands.

We have a great recruiting class, full of talent and enthusiasm. Freshman Kate Murano, Mackenzie Laughlin and Kyli Orr have shown real potential and promise.

Sophomore Emily Buchheit comes into the season in great shape and there is a lot of headroom for this year’s Storm.

Men’s Race After a solid three-week training block, I’m excited to see the improvement from our first 8k at the Les Duke Invite. Our men have made some great gains in during these training weeks, and should perform at a much higher level than we did at our opening two meets.

Coming off terrific races at Grinnell are Trey Thompson and Jonathan Facio. Both of these guys look great and I’m excited to have them lead us on Saturday. Our 3-7 spots are anyone’s guesses as we head in the weekend.

We have a stable full of runners who can get the job done, I’m looking forward to watching who does!

It’s critical we run well here because we’ll be back on November 10th competing in the NCAA Central Region meet. It’s a great course and the weather is shaping up to be a terrific morning for racing. With larger fields then the previous years, it’s going to be a wonderful morning for cross country!

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Who is Daniel Huston?

Huston remains the school record holder in the men’s Daniel Huston ’85 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:02.81). He became the remains the school record holder college’s first individualHuston All-American in men’s track and in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase field with a third-place(9:02.81). steeplechase finish at the 1984 NCAA Division III outdoor meet. He earned all-Iowa He became the college’s first individual AllAmerican in men’s track andtimes field with a was Conference honors in cross country three and third-place steeplechase finish at the 1984 named an Academic NCAA All-American 1984.

HeHelater Division III in outdoor meet. earned all-Iowa Conference honors in began running marathons as a student cross country three times at andGeorgetown was named Academic All-American in 1984.

University Law School.anHuston enters the Hall of Fame later began running marathons as ahe posthumously. AfterHecompleting his law degree, student at Georgetown University Law School. Huston enters the Hall worked in the Washington, D.C., firm of Reid & Priest. of Fame posthumously.

He died Sept. 9, 1994, the victim of fatal gunshot wounds After completing his law degree, he worked in the Washington, D.C., firm of during Reid & Priest.

He died Sept. carjacking 9, 1994, the victim fatal sustained an attempted of hisof vehicle. gunshot wounds sustained during an attempted carjacking of his ? vehicle.

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Behind the Ropes

By Chad Carter Being the ‘Best’ is Not a Requirement to Make a Difference My experience with Simpson XC has been eventful to say the least. It has been filled with many individual highs and lows, but the past 3 seasons leading up to my senior campaign have been incredible. Yes, I have improved as a runner since starting college, but the best/most exciting improvement has been that of the team over this 4-year run (no pun intended…).

When I first started running here, our team was not really a team, as it seemed to be more about the individual athlete than the team. Needless to say, during my freshman season, we did not hit the level we could have. As our team made the switch towards the team-first mentality, improvement became evident. Better leadership made the difference in us making significant strides as a team, as we transitioned towards relevance. Last year was a glimpse of how far this team has come, as we [finally] cracked the top 10 in our region (the Central Region) for the first time since 1996. The culture has changed for Simpson Men’s XC, and it’s exciting to know that I have been a part of such a change.

For me, finishing out my final cross country season on a high note is an imperative. One goal that I’ve been chasing after since my sophomore has been to get on the regional team. I have been 19 seconds (and 2 places on the team) from being on it the last couple of years, and am determined to earn (or at least push others in their route to it…) that coveted spot this season. As I have learned time and time again, everything has to be earned. This is especially true with being a top 7 runner on Simpson’s XC team at the close of the season.

It is truly a testament to the strength of our team that the regional qualifying standard for the Simpson Men’s team has been set at such a high level; a level it hasn’t been at for many years prior. Coach Moenck once told me that in all of his previously coached years (at least the ones before my sophomore year) I would have made the regional team. This statement from Coach spoke volumes to me about how much of an improvement our team has made over my years running here. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. Given the choice between being on a lower caliber team and making the regional squad, or being on this team and just missing out, I would choose this team every time.

Last year we took a big step forward, and this year we aim to take an even bigger one. We want to make Simpson XC a respected program, and help move it beyond previous years of just being “good.” This year is our opportunity to turn heads, accomplish things that haven’t been achieved in more than 20 years, and change the way others view Simpson Men’s XC. A disappointing start to the season at Grinnell has not dampened our team goals, but has become fuel necessary to light our team’s motivational fire.

I hope to make a positive impact, and am determined to do whatever it takes to help our team achieve said goals. If pushing the pace in practice or in a race is what is needed to help out, or personally challenging individuals on the team (including myself) to step up and make the impact I know they’re capable of, then so be it. There’s a lot more to a team’s success than a combination of individual performances, and I want to leave Simpson knowing that I helped show that any individual, regardless of their position on the team, can play an important role in the team’s success.

-Chad Carter, Senior XC

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In the Chute

By Audrey Klein Three years ago, I chose Simpson College with run I have always had a love-hate relationship with running.

Cross country is not an easy sport and one that pushes your limits. I started my cross country career as a 7 th grader coached by my mom who at the time was coaching high school as well.

It was not until freshman year of high school that I took cross country seriously. And it wasn’t until the summer before my junior year of high school, when I started training with my mom that I started to learn how to push myself not only physically but mentally. From this training, I got faster but running never got easier. Meet days I was consumed nerves, practice days I never learned to take it easy, and off days were spent dreading the next meet.

Fast forward a couple years, several injuries, and what seems like a lifetime, to this season. I feel the best I ever felt running. I owe that to my coaches who worked with me this summer to give me the space to find my love for running again. I owe it to my boyfriend who I dragged out to run on recovery days to force me to slow down, my parents who cheer me on throughout the race. And I owe it to my teammates who never fail to put a smile on my face, who are constantly pushing me during workouts, and who are, and always will be there throughout the many many miles.

Audrey Klein

XC Times September 29, 2018 – THE NEWS XC FANS DEPEND ON – A GANNETT COMPANY

Coaches Jim Kirby I had been coaching at Dowling Catholic for more than 20 years. Those were some of the best years of my life. I enjoyed being with some of the most gifted, talented and funny people around. From the girl we all cheered as she broke 30 minutes for a 4K to state champions, national champions and later collegiate champions, thee are so many great moments. It just goes to show you, if you stay around long enough, good things happen.

Now I am privledged to be associated with another talented, gifted and funny group of people, the Simpson Storm.

There is nothing like the experience of helping someone achieve things they once, never imagined they could achieve.

It is often overwhelming and sometimes even adictive, to experience those things on the bigger stages in life, the excitement, passion and exhiliration of the moment of victory.

As exciting as those bigger, more dramtic moments of accomplishment and so called “victories” are, there are many many more satisfying moments, a coach expereinces, day to day, that to the casual observer, don’t seem so important, but to an observant coach, priceless.

Not everyone wins the state title or national championship. There are victories that may be less noticable but are even more monumental. A new personal best, the overcoming a weakness or a lessoned learned, for coaches who hold these goals out to their athletes, find even more gratification in being part of those victories.

The “classroom of running” can teach many things, what your strengths and weaknesses are; what makes you continue and what makes you quit; how hard you are willing to sacrifice and how much you don’t want to give up. Learning these life lessons while making the lifelong memories that this sport offers is what makes coaching really satisfying.

I am excited to continue to try and help athletes overcome their limitations, achieve their goals and do things they never dreamed possible. As legendary York High School coach Joe Newton says, “running can make the best athletes, friends, spouses, parents and people.”

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”-2 Timothy 4.7 “The only thing we knew how to do, was to keep on keeping on…”-Bob Dylan

XC Times September 29, 2018 – THE NEWS XC FANS DEPEND ON – A GANNETT COMPANY

Our Next Meets

Saturday October 13th Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational Ettrick, WI 10:30a

Down the Road Saturday October 27th American River Conference Meet Lincoln, NE Simpson Storm X-Country FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK and Twitter