Avila Cross Country Conference Meet 2012

By Curtis Dunlap

Avila Finishes Conference

The Avila cross country program ran its final race at conference in Lamoni Iowa November 14^th. From last year it was a big step in the right direction. Freshman Tiffany Zinn finished with a P.R. of 19:58! The girls team went through a few injuries this year with one of the returning runners, Karli Lapointe, having heart problems and being out for the latter portion of the season and then toughing it out and running in the conference meet. Despite the injuries the girls finished with a team score, they did not place this year but finished as a team for the second year in a row and as a new program that is not bad, with only five runners as well.  it was a fast 5k for the girls on a warm windy day on long stretches of grass and up many fairly steep hills. They had fun and raced hard. The girls say goodbye to two seniors, Karli Lapointe and Katie Noland. To them this was their goodbye race, their swan song and they raced hard until the end.

The men’s team did decent this year at conference too. After losing senior Adam McGovern last year and battling injuries throughout the guys still came back and had a fairly well team score. Most of the guys can say this was a training year, a base for next year’s season. A learning experience and a way to gauge what goals need to be set. For all but one this was a first year experience. In high school races were only 3.1 miles. In college men race 5 miles or 8k’s. They need to know how to pace themselves and to learn to race smart and conservative. Coach Denny always says “a race is not won in the first mile, but it can be lost.” This was a year to prepare new runners for next year, a chance to see the competition and know what we are up against. Now they know. They know what has to be done to win, how hard they have to train and the dedication it takes to make yourself better.

the team in their legendary huddle before the conference race

Next year there will be more runners on both the men’s and women’s teams. Hopefully adding more depth to both teams and a fight for top seven position.  Next year the team is aiming at a higher finish in the conference meet and hopefully breaking into the top 15 at other races throughout the year. With the proper training and the amount each runner pushes not only themselves but the rest of the team it is a very attainable goal. Cross country is not an individual sport. It takes a team to win, a team that trains together, wins together and loses together. It is a brotherhood/sisterhood that only runners know. Next year will be different. Cross country will make itself known here at Avila. Cross country is going to make its mark.