Cross Country Time Trials Recap

On Saturday Sept. 5 at Shawnee Mission Park, 57 boys and 38 girls competed for a spot on the cross country team for the upcoming Topeka meet and the remaining meets of the season. Their placement was determined by how fast they ran a 5K. Below are two Q & As with top placing runners from the event. 

Jack Fisher

Senior Jack Fisher came in with a time of 18:19, just three seconds before freshman Ben Rodriguez, taking first place for boys at time trials.

Q: What was going through your head when you got first at time trials?

A: “It was kind of a downhill. So I guess what was kind of going through my head was that my legs are gonna hurt tomorrow morning because you’re stomping your feet running down the hill. It sounds cocky, but I kind of knew [by] how I’d been running throughout the summer that I would be somewhere within varsity. So it wasn’t really a race and I didn’t want to go too hard because I wasn’t running for time. I used it more to practice strategy for future races rather than go for time.”

Q: How did you prepare for the start of the season?

A: “I did what a lot of people do. We did summer running, which is a program throughout the summer where we meet at Porter Park every morning at seven and run. Then kind of like long[er] 12 mile runs on Sundays or Saturdays with coaches and other teams just to get more mileage.”

Q: What are your expectations for the season?

A: “I think we have a really good team this year. So definitely going to state as a team, which we haven’t done in four years, and then hopefully winning state just in general because I think we have a very strong, consistent team. So as a team, I feel like we could make it to state and possibly be top three if not first. Our only real competition right now for our region is probably Mill Valley, just because they are always strong, and then at state I think our two competitors are [Lawrence] Free State and Mill Valley as well.”

Q: Are there a lot of returning upperclassmen and varsity runners this year?

A: “Very few. Out of our top seven from last year, I’m the only one returning. Not only did we lose a lot of seniors, but a lot of other schools lost a lot of seniors too. My coach was telling me like out of the top 20 at state last year, 16 of them were seniors.”

Kelly McAlister

Junior Kelly McAlister came in second place for girls at time trials with a time of 21:42, putting her 29 seconds behind junior Kate Kowalik.

Q: What were your hopes for time trials this year?

A: “I just really wanted to do better than last year. It’s really hard because there’s a loop you have to [run] twice and so it’s like the worst out of all of the races, especially because there’s so few people. You’re running by yourself most of the time so it’s really hard to maintain motivation.”

Q: Did you improve from last year?

A: “Yeah, I did. I don’t really remember how much. I think it was like a minute or two.”

Q: How did you prepare for it? 

A: “I got a lot of sleep the night before. We had to wake up at 5:50, so I went to bed at barely 10 o’clock. And then I ate pasta and more pasta. I also put some ice in a bag and I iced my calves, ankles and knees so that they [would] feel nice and fresh in the morning. During the day, I can’t cross my legs. I do out of habit, but it hurts to cross my legs for a long time because it feels like I have shin splints when I actually don’t.”

Q: Were you disappointed to place second?

A: “I got second last year too [but] it’s really just a jumping off point. It’s not like other sports, where you have a finite [rank] and that’s where you are for the rest of the season. It’s more based on your own merit and the whole season. So I could be number two right now, but I could literally be last by the end [of the season] or I could go up. So that’s what happened last year. I’m okay with that. I mean, I feel like I could have run better. But I’m optimistic.”

Q: What are your expectations for the season?

A: “I have some really finite goals for this year and also next year because I want to run in college. So I want to get to a 19 minute [5K] this year and then an 18 minute next year. I’m starting to realize that sounds really, really hard, but I’m starting the season closer than I was last year. So yeah, I’m excited.”

Q: How do you think regionals will go and do you think you’ll make it to state?

A: “Well, I went as an individual last year to state and so did Eleanor Hlobik. But I’m sure it’s more fun as a team because I didn’t do well and neither did Eleanor, it was a really hot day. So I think that regionals will go really well. That’s what our coach, Ricky Hacker, was telling us. We have a really strong team and we have a [gap of a] couple of minutes between the number one and seven spot so we have to close that before regionals. Otherwise, I don’t know about state.” 

Q: Are there are a lot of returning upperclassmen and varsity runners?

A: “Not as much as last year. A lot of them, especially the guys, left for college. A lot of the freshmen have dominated the team, especially the JV team, because everybody left.”

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the upcoming Topeka meet? 

A: “Yeah, they actually changed the course for Topeka for the first time in a long, long time. So we’re kind of going in blind as to what areas we should be focusing on and where we should be moving. I actually don’t even know what it looks like. It’s usually a very muddy course though.”