One Fantastic Season version 2.009

The Men and Women who ran Cross Country for the Morton Potters this fall gave each other, the school, and the town of Morton something to be proud of. For the girls, they earned their 3rd straight team Sectional appearance, a feat that has not been accomplished since the teams of 1998-2000*. The girls also return 6 of their 7 girls that ran at ICC today. The men's performance today was equally as epic.

Although the Potter men came a mere 33 points from qualifying as a team, their 6th place finish definitely sets them apart as one of the finest Cross Country teams that Morton has produced. According to the calculations of Steve and I before the race, the Potters did everything they needed to do to advance to Detweiller; they beat Dunlap, EP, Richwoods, and Geneseo....however, Yorkville ran a great race to sneak under our radar to grab the spot that we thought the Potters would claim. Also, congratulations to our area competitors U-High, Notre Dame, Galesburg, and Metamora who will also be advancing to State next weekend....along with our very own Joe Zeller.

Thanks to a great tactical race, Joe Zeller became the first junior at Morton to advance to the IHSA state finals in, what Steve phonetically put, "quite some time." Although we all know Joe would have loved to be racing with his teammates in Peoria next week, I'm sure we'll all be there to cheer him on as he looks to bring home Morton's first ever IHSA State Cross Country Championship!!!

Videos

To conclude this post, here is the footage from today's meet. Since I basically lived vicariously through the guys' team this year, I added a little special bonus to their video.

Girls

Guys

Thanks again for a great season, guys and gals. Now maybe I can get more homework done on weekends.

Pictures

Also, Steve took some more great photos of the meet. Click here to check them out.

*all statistics courtesy of the Morton Cross Country Almanac

You guys is ready

Saturday's the day - a final message from the creators, the fans, the encouragers.
As the day approaches, remember that you don't have to do anything you have not done before. Whether you call yourselves The Long Red Train, The Bright Red Exclamation Point, The Cherry Question Mark, The Ruby Thought Cloud, or simply the 2009 Potters, you need only do what you have done before...perform excellently. The work has been done, all season, and all summer. As I was clicking off miles 17 and 18, before the fatigue hit, during the Chicago Marathon, I remembered all the work I had put in, the long runs, the long tempos. I knew that the race was simply a celebration, an expression of the work I had done over the past months. And that I was going to consume a lot of pizza afterward.

Know the same thing of yourselves. Remember the Thursday nights at Northwoods during the summer, remember the Friday nights at Basta's, remember the Sunday afternoon runs, remember the camping with your teammates, and remember learning what it was like to win an invitational with 13 other teams. For our seniors, remember the years you have put in. These things are what make the 2009 Potters who they are, and this race will be an expression of that work. If you race in memory of that, and race up to that standard you have set for yourselves, you will make all proud, and you will honor yourselves and your teammates. Remember that you are building a heritage for those that come behind you. Underclassmen, watch this team, and know that this could be you next year, the year after.

Remember that you practically have a homecourse advantage. Most of your competitors have probably not seen this course since the 2008 Sectional, while you have seen it just 3 weeks or so ago. Heck, this thing is practically in your hometown. Know the course, be confident in that. It's likely to be decent weather, but the course will be soggy and damp. You already know what that's like! This is nothing you haven't done before.

Also, remember that it's your score that matters, and not your time. The more opponents you can put behind you (and in front of EP or Dunlaps 4th and 5th!) the better. Never back off once you have beaten 'your man', but remember that the 5 more people you can put between yourself and him may be the difference between running next week, or watching. Don't just beat your opponents, but bump them outta there.

Now let's give Ben and Nathan a reason to come home on Nov. 7th!

Later that day
Later that afternoon after your sectional, at Newman Golf Course (2021 W. Nebraska Avenue) in Peoria, ICC is hosting the NJCAA Regional. Potter alum Brittany Carius should be competing for the ICC Cougars in the women's race at 3:30 and several other Mid-Illini and area alumni are in both the women's race and the men's race at 4:15. Head on out and support them before getting your trick or your treat on that night.

Woodruff survives!
The race that is, not the school. For those that were questioning the fate of one of the largest and best races in the state, this article was run in the PJStar the other day. Great news for those who spectate, and for the Potters who will return next year.

Screaming Pumpkin
You all don't get to watch (or come make fun of me), because you need your sleep, but tomorrow I will be running 6.5 miles through a cemetery in the dark, trying to finish as close to midnight as possible without going over. I've done some crazy events before, but this might be the craziest. Oh, and I will be wielding a lightsaber. Wish me luck, and pray that I don't sever anything.

Another stupid video
This video isn't quite as funny as the unicycle polevaulting, but I love when he puts his shorts on in mid-air at 1:39. I want to learn that, but I know I'd probably end up knocking some teeth out. And the spinning pushups are freaky, too.




"Champions are made in the offseason, behind closed doors, when no one is watching."

H.E.A.R.T.

...is never seeing a limit but rather only a new opportunity to rise to the occasion. You have all met a brand new challenge head-on...State has not been realistic in any of the years that you all have been running, you've achieved a lot. I would like to express this in a poem:

One, two, three, and four,
the Horsemen walk in the door,
Dan and Andrew,
Dale and Smitty,
Four friends close but always working to achieve more.

Andrew and Smitty joined up from the beginning,
Dale and Dan didn't realize what they were missing.
Neither better neither worse,
needing all 7 is not a curse,
all working toward the same goal, sacrificing much...they even gave up kissing!

What is the sound of 4 Men running,
achieving, giving, and opportunity knocking?
Into the future rides the team,
on the backs of the 4 Horsemen's crazy dream.
Alone they didn't achieve it all, but it takes a few to motivate the call.

Now they will soon ride away,
but know that truth...they'll fight hard for every day
to run one more time and show the state,
7 men are all it takes.
The 4 Horsemen shall ride once more...and as always they won't disappoint,
for crying out loud that got Joe on point!

Joe and Pipes, and Austin too,
man do you got your work cut out for you.
Next year is next year, and for you it's gonna be great
but Sectionals is Saturday...and the next? Well it's State!
The Horsemen and Joe, Austin and Piper...run your best, we're proud of you!

And what of the girls...our running vixens?
They're prepared too...and their workouts they've been mixin'
fartleks and fun runs,
mile repeats and telling funny puns.
The girls are ready...they've done all the work,
and why? Because everything left is only a perk.

State is a goal...the runners are ready,
never believe that their pace won't be steady.
Boys and girls...I've got a secret to tell you all,
run fast...run hard, and by golly don't fall!

Remember: The ealge flies at midnight...but you have flown higher and farther than that eagle EVER could!
-Nathan

The Triple Play (long blog post with a plethora of typos)

I've got three more things for you tonight. First, a few amendments to our Regional recap from yesterday, then some pictures from yesterday, and finally, a look ahead to next weekends Sectional.

Regional comments & Awards
In our rush to video blog, and our excitement at using markers on a white board, we left out some details on the Regional race. So I want to throw out a few comments.

Austin Bradford gets congratulations for running the race we've been waiting for from him, one where he held on to a quick early pace all the way to the finish. We knew it'd come, and if he can reproduce it, or exceed it, next week, then the timing was perfect. You guys are getting rested, and should be set to make next week your best race yet. For his race, Austin surprisingly gets his first ever Metronome Award.

Nick Piper had an excellent first race back after missing a couple weeks worth of races. It's sometimes rough to step back in after a break and race near your best, but Nick showed he's only just behind where he left off, and should be set next weekend to get back to where he was before. This makes him a perfect recipient of the Rocky Award.

Coach Zehr gets a shoutout as well for the awesome job he's doing as a coach. As I sorted the pictures to put online, I was amazed how many of the pictures he was in the background of. This guy is all over the place encouraging you guys and giving advice. Though he got cropped out of many of the pictures I put online, the picture up top gives an idea. He gets our Morale Rooster for the week.

Nick Steffen gets the Punisher Award because, frankly anybody who can kick like that deserves it. One day, we'll have to have him and Alex Blunier jog 2.9 miles, and then see who can run the last 0.1 the fastest.

On a related note, the Photo Finish Award goes to Hannah Behle for the excellent display of determination shown in the final few hundred meters, and what seemed like another race of moving up the field in the last mile.




More Pictures:
Here's the link to the rest of the pictures for those who want them. Featured is a guest appearance by Nathan Young.

Dave was really wanting a duplication of the long red train from last year (see picture). I thought that it didn't happen, but lo and behold, we have this picture, The Long Red Train 2.0, featuring 3 of the same 4 runners, and taken in almost exactly the same place. It's too bad he hates the camera and we can't get Zeller to line up for a long red train picture once. Anyway, there you go Dave, Christmas came early for you this year.

Also, I saw in this picture something I've never noticed before. If you want to know how to finish in the top 5 of a race, the key is to have your right leg on the ground, and your left leg in the air. It's so simple, why hadn't I thought of it before?

Also of interest in these pictures are all the athletes looking at the camera while racing. The undisputed queen, however, is Nicole Lockwood. I think in every third picture she's in, she's staring straight at the camera.

Sectional Preview
Finally, here's the updated and detailed Guys Sectional Preview I've been promising for a while. I was hoping after seeing the Regional results, things might be clear, but alas, things were very confusing. It seemed the only thing we learned for sure is that Galesburg, led by Gabe Moreno, is, in fact, a strong contender for a State spot, something we thought before, but didn't know.

After that, it's hard to know what to think. First of all the times were screwy and slow. I assume the other Regionals had similar weather and conditions to what you did. At the Galesburg Regional, times were probably 50-60 seconds slower than expected on a 3.0 mile course, which is only partly explained by the 3.04 mile course. Dunlap needed a tiebreaker to beat Geneseo and was only a few spots ahead of Dixon, which was surprising. I would tend to think that Dunlap may have been taking it somewhat easy, knowing they would qualify comfortably, but am not sure. Dixon and Geneseo may be stronger than expected, though I'm going to go with my gut and say Dunlap was resting.

At the Peoria Regional, the top ten or so guys raced fairly quickly, as expected, but after that the race seemed slow. As a result, the Normal Regional looked comparatively quick, and some of the teams in the Peoria Regional look weaker than they really are. Metamora had good races from Rauh and Van Fossen, but their last 5 guys, including Kamm, averaged 36 seconds slower than at Mid-Illini on the same course (where by the way, their 4th-7th all ran big breakout races if you hadn't noticed). East Peoria had everyone slower than expected with the exception of Gonzales, their usual #3, and I'd have to think they were taking it easy. Richwoods was close behind EP, but it's my feeling that they just don't have as much, and were probably not resting as much as EP was.

The Sandwich Regional is tough to know anything about, since we don't know the course or any of those teams really. Mike Gaydos of Sandwich won convincingly in 16:30, and Yorkville won the meet with 34 points over 64 for second place Oswego. I have to assume that course was running a little slow as well, but really am just making an educated assumption. Yorkville and Gaydos are the only teams or individuals that will likely factor at the Sectional, and I think Yorkville won't be much of a factor.

I have a spreadsheet where I've copied in results of all the teams that I think will factor in the Sectional, plus the handful of individuals that have a chance of making State. I've done some wizardly math and think I have a pretty good idea of what teams will be there, and you know what? It looks almost the same as what I said a month ago. First I ran the numbers based on Regional performances and was very surprised how far down EP, Richwoods and Metamora were, and so then I made some adjustments for where I think things will be when those teams are at their best and not resting.

As you can see, my methodology isn't perfect, but there's no perfect way to do this. Any way I run it, I get the same thing basically: two teams out front, another seven teams fighting for 3 spots, and a few more teams that might pick off some of those teams and finish in the top 10, but aren't likely to qualify.

1. Normal (University) - Won Bloomington Regional convincingly and is likely one of the top 2-3 teams in Class 2A. Led by two possible All-Staters, there's only one team in the Sectional that can challenge them.

2. Peoria (Notre Dame) - Led by individual Sectional and State title contender, CJ Elward, this group is backed by a strong pack with 3 guys under 16 minutes, and all their scorers under 16:15. Might challenge Normal (University), but probably can't quite beat them.

(I debated whether to rank these next teams, or just list them as the 'Big Group of Seven.' I decided to rank them, but remember that these teams can be very close , and I'm just as likely to be off by four spots as by one. I think of these seven teams, Galesburg and Metamora stand a pretty strong chance, but even assuming I'm right on that, it's just that much harder to pick among 5 teams for the last spot. All these predictions are based on each team running their best race. A bad race would knock them out of contention to qualify and could even quickly throw them out of the top 10)

3. Galesburg - They seem to be rounding into shape quickly, and have a history as a team, and have several runners with experience in the big postseason meets. They soundly won their regional, and even if Dunlap was taking it really easy, Galesburg likely still would have matched them. Gabe Moreno has slowly worked back to his best form, and showed it with a solid win yesterday.

4. Metamora - Also rounding into shape at the end of the season. Stephan Rauh is a strong, consistent #1 and Van Fossen seems to be in good post season shape as the Sectional nears. Kamm and their next guys are inconsistent and didn't run fast last week, but if they run their best race, their top 4 are very strong. The question is, are they hurting? Or did Gene let Ryan and Stephan go hard last week and reigned the others in? If they run like they did at the Regional, they might not go. If they run like they did at Mid-Illini, they should be in good shape.

5. Morton - Alright, I'm biased, but I think if you guys run your best race, you'll make it. After a few scary weeks, you showed you're healthy and ready to roll just like the first half of the season. Zelller and Domnick are very consistent, Nick's coming back nicely from an injury, and Austin appears to improving at just the right time. Nathan should be a clutch performer as he's rested, and the Getzen are always clutch at the end of the season, so we're not too worried about Dan after missing a couple of races. Anyone remember Peoria? Yeah, that's right. And to top it all off, seventh man Andrew Young is knocking on the door of breaking 17 minutes. I've never seen a seventh Potter so quick.

6. Dunlap - Led by Johnny Crain, they have a strong front man, and a strong 1-4, but their 5th looked much worse at Regional. I'm not sure what to make of that. If they run like they did at Mid-Illlini, then they will be very tough, and could qualify. This is probably the biggest threat to Morton. Dunlap appears to narrowly beat EP. The one time we've seen EP line everything up, at Mid-Illini, Dunlap nipped them, and I expect something similar this time.

7. East Peoria - I do think they were taking it easy yesterday, and have much more in the tank. However, they're just not quite as strong as Morton on their best day, with Andrew Young beating their 5th man in the duel a few weeks ago. The potential to do that is why I say Morton's best race will beat EPs. Who knows though, they'll have a home course advantage and might have some dirty tricks as well. Never run over a big pile of leaves on these guys' course, as it may be a hidden pit filled with water.

8. Dixon - These guys have a strong front man in Zach Payne who beat Johnny Crain at Galesburg, but fall off a bit after that. They appear to have the guns to put them into the top 8-10 teams, but probably not into a state spot. One can't say for sure, though. If Dixon has a great race, and a few other teams falter, they could sneak in and grab that fifth spot. Last year, they timed things well and suprised everyone by stealing a state title they were not favored to win. This year, they have looked better and better as the season goes, and I would not count them out.

9. Geneseo - Geneseo has a nice, tight pack, though their #4 guy is sometimes inconsistent and finishes back of their regular #5. We'll have to assume they'll have all 5 ready next week, and if so, they've often put their 5 guys within 25 seconds of each other. At Woodruff, their spread from 1-5 was 16:20-16:42. That looks tight, but their pack is about 20 seconds too slow, and I just haven't seen them improving all year. By this point in the season, all the contenders have a 5th man around 16:40-45, but their front man is faster than 16:20. Geneseo narrowly beat Dixon at Galesburg, on the strength of their #2, #3, and #4 man, but I see Dixon peaking and taking them time.

10. Richwoods - Led by Thomas Harayda, these guys are a good team, but I just don't think they're quite good enough. I would not at all be surprised to see them pick off a few teams, and finish in the top 7 or top 8, but don't think they have any chance of finishing in the top 5.

11. Bloomington - You saw them Saturday. They're a good team, but probably not a state qualifying team. Their #1 and #2 guys might be individual qualifiers though.

12. Mahomet Seymour - Same as Bloomington. They're good, but not good enough. They had a tight pack and no standout individuals, so I don't see anyone from this team at Detweiller on November 7th. Any of their guys anyway. Their girls will likely be there.

13. Yorkville - we haven't seen them, but from results I'd say they're very similar to Mahomet Seymour.

14. Rock Island - the best of the rest.

15. Oswego - Second to Yorkville at Sandwich, they might beat Rock Island, but will not likely be further up than that.

16. Rantoul - At this point, I'm just guessing at where to place the slower teams.

17. Dekalb

18. Washington

19. New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)

20. Sandwich

So that's what I've got for the teams. Here's how I see individuals. You've got a few guys who stand out as likely top 5 (and almost assuredly top 10), and a large group after that who could be top 20.

1. Elward (Peoria Notre Dame) - last spings 2A 3200 champ, Elward has run 14:52 this season, and I don't think anyone else has broken 15:20. I think he's a very strong favorite and could have a bad race and still win.

2. Rutherford (Normal University) - Looked good all season, and looked very comfortable and in control at the Regional (sorry Joe).

3. Moreno (Galesburg) - an All-Stater last year, he's rounding into shape after a rough early season and a Regional victory over Crain and Payne (that rhymes!) shows he's near the top.

4. Rauh (Metamora) - Strong all season and apparently peaking well. I believe he ran a PR at the Regional, despite potentially slow conditions.

5. Crain (Dunlap) - Running well at the end of the season, outkicking Rauh at Mid-Illini. Only 3rd at the Regional, though I suspect he was resting.

6. Clay (Normal University) - a 15:09 guy last year, he struggled early, but you saw him at the regional. He's at least most of the way back. I'm putting him 5th or 6th based on a rough early season, but who knows, he could give CJ a fight if he's at his very best.

After that, I'm going to throw out, not necessarily in any particular order, a big group of names who will probably be fighting for top 20 spots. Since the team battle is so up in the air, several of these guys will have an individual spot in mind, even though they're on contending teams. This list is not necessarily comprehensive.

Payne (Dixon)
Van Fossen (Metamora)
Kamm (Metamora)
Zeller (Morton)
Eades (East Peoria)
Gill (East Peoria)
Parlette (Normal University)
Ward(Normal University)
Meyer (Bloomington)
Birkel (Peoria Notre Dame) (both of them)
Wynn ( Peoria Notre Dame)
Landis (Sterling)
Morse (Limestone)
Harayda (Richwoods)
Link (Galesburg)
Gaydos (Sandwich)
Sigwalt (Geneseo)

The individual qualifiers will likely come from this group of guys, probably whichever ones are on teams that don't make it. From my team predictions earlier (Normal U, PND, Galesburg, Metamora and Morton qualifying), that means our likely individual qualifiers are:

Crain (Dunlap)
Payne (Dixon)
Eades (East Peoria)
Meyer (Bloomington
Landis (Sterling)
Morse (Limestone)
Harayda (Richwoods)
Gill (East Peoria)
Gaydos (Sandwich)
Sigwalt (Geneseo)

So to qualify, you guys have to run your best race, and it'll be a dogfight where every spot counts. It'll likely be a Mid-Illini battle between Morton, Dunlap and East Peoria. Remember, every opponent you can pass helps your score against that team by two points, and against every other team by one point. The little things will make a difference, like surging on corners. Know the course. Don't let yourself get into the mental trap of running to the mile mark and then relaxing. Run through the mile mark, and be amazed how many of your competitors back off once they have their split.

Look over the competitors, think about how you've raced them in the past, know what you have to do going in, but also be prepared to race if things don't go as you expect. Know the colors of the uniforms that matter. Dixon is some variation of purple and white I believe. Geneseo is green and white. You should already know all the others. To help you guys know the competition, here's a link to a version of my spreadsheet with results for all the teams that matter. You don't get to see the one with my wizardly math:)

Wrapping it up
Finally, I'm going to leave you with one more photo. I know you guys were probably thinking, "is he really sticking that stupid camera into our huddle?", but I rather like the photo. No matter what happens Saturday, remember the journey and the friendships. There will never be another 2009 Morton Potter XC Team. Oh, and what did Dale find so funny?

Get Pumped for Sectionals!

Here is a short "trailer" for the exciting show that's going to be taking place at East Peoria on Saturday. Don't miss the East Peoria 2009 Cross Country Sectional:

Bloomington Regional 2009 (Dave and Steve get in trouble again...this time with a librarian)

Greetings Potter Cross Country Fans. Once again, Dave and I video blogged about the Potters race, this time after enjoying a warm meal at Panera. Sadly, I was enlisted for video editing duty and don't know what I'm doing, and didn't want to take the time to figure out. So when we had to cut a few scenes for brevity, the transitions look really nasty. You can all live with it.

The top list of deleted scenes

• Dave and Steve get scolded by the librarian for excessive volume.
• Dave says, "Oh my! That felt like bison!"
• Dave and Steve shuffle around papers looking for information.
• Dave and Steve not eating Blizzards.
• Dave accidentally says "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" when he meant "excitement". Hilarity, laughter, mayhem, and a little bit of choreographed musical drama ensued.
• Dave turns into a dagron.
• Steve points his fingers up and down, but not all around.
• Dave and Steve are escorted out of the library for excessive volume and oversilliness (apparently, it is a place for educative purposes, not video blogging).

Enjoy the video, and sometime in the next day or two I'll put up my pictures, and hopefully this week, I'll get to a more detailed Sectional preview.

H.E.A.R.T.

...is the shake in your hand and the feeling in your pit of your stomach that makes you know you're alive right before you toe the line. It's making every single step for all 3 miles work toward a singular goal...its the understanding that you are one part of a team that will never ask more of you than it is willing to give. Every runner on your team has earned the right to call themselves the best that they can be...prove it.

You are 14 men and women who are being asked to represent the Morton Cross Country Team on Saturday. You are also being given the chance to prove yourself TO yourself...you can achieve anything, ANYTHING that you put your mind to. Saturday you are given a chance to put yourself to the test....you have quite the test but you are EACH more than capable.

Remember...
The eagle flies at midnight...but you have flown higher and farther than that eagle EVER could!
-Nathan

Morton's Getting Hollywood Attention

I'm still trying to figure out iMovie '09, so while I had time this long weekend, I whipped this up today as an experiment. I hope you enjoy:

Mid Illini and Springfield Invite pictures

Hey peoples,

Here's a link to some of the pictures I took yesterday at the Mid Illini meet.

Also, Ashley Coon's older brother Jason was kind enough to send me some of the pictures he took at the Springfield Invite a few weeks ago. You can get those here.

Have a good day, and keep washing your hands.

Morton Came, Morton Saw, Morton Got Sick, But Morton Still Conquered: A Dramatic Retelling of the Mid-Illini Cross Country Meet

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

So wrote Charles Dickens in his timeless classic "The Tale of Two Christmas Expectations"....or something like that. Whatever the case, the quote above really sums up Morton's experience at the Mid-Illini Conference meet.

Worst of Times

Unfortunately for the Potters, 76.pi% of the high school seems to have been stricken with a frustrating illness this week. As a result, Morton was without 19 of their team members when they arrived at Detwieller Park on Friday night. Of the Varsity squads, both Men and Women's teams were without 3 of their usual scoring 7. On top of that, several of the Varsity Potters were racing despite impaired health.

Despite the cards being stacked against their favor, Morton still gave 100% on Friday. Although the final results were not an accurate depiction of the kind of season that Morton has been having up to this point (both Men and Women placed 6th), there are still two weeks remaining in the season to run some fast times.

Best of Times

Those who were healthy to run did a great job. On the Ladies' side, with the Pribbles both sidelined with illness, Grace did a great job of stepping up and being the Alpha runner. Behind her, Hannah Behle continued to improve by running 6 seconds faster than she did at Peoria with a PR of 21:09 (all times are unofficial). Nicole also PRd in a time of 21:36, as did Emily Ogden in 24:29. Ashley, Lauren, and Rachel rounded out the remaining healthy Lady Potters.

For the guys, they got to run two races. First came the Fresh/Soph race. Walter Jankowski (8th? 9th?) and Isaac Ackerman (11th? pith?) all ran swell enough to recieve ribbons! Behind them was a solid pack of up-and-coming Potter talent. Grant, James, Matt, Matt, Austin, and Potter #239 all had great finishes. Big PRs on the day came from Joe Doan who eclipsed the 21-minute mark in 20:56, and Jordan Goodyear who destroyed his old PR of 25:49 by running a whole 1:20 faster! Also, the Potter Who Shall Not Be Named ran a great race as well.

In the Varsity Men's competition, several more impressive performances were performed. One involved me risking my life to bring you footage just before the 1-mile mark. Another was Joe Zeller running 15:39 en route to a 4th place All Conference Finish. With Nick still out due to complications with his baby cow, Dale stepped up to be Morton's Beta runner. Austin, Andrew, Smitty, Nick, and Alex rounded out the Scoring 7, but the fun didn't stop there. JT busted out a PR by running in the low 18:10 range, and Dan and Alex and Andrew L. came very close to PRing as well; we'll have to wait for the official results to see.

Not to point fingers or anything, but....

I think in the back of all our minds we know that Morton's teams are not the 6th best teams in the Mid-Illini, but this is a good wake-up call to realize the following truth: when the gun goes off, all ranking are set aside and all that matters is you and the three miles until the finish line. It's easy to point fingers at this meet and say, "Ah, we were all sick this meet; we should've place higher," and I agree, but never forgot that the other teams in the area want to keep racing into November just as much as you guys all do. Keep training hard, keep your head's up, get healthy, and you'll be right where you guys and gals need to be in a couple weeks.

Tribute to Underclassmen and Seniors

From here on out, the Varsity is shouldered with carrying the load for the Potters, but everybody knows that the wolves are only as strong as the pack. Congrats to all who have raced this year. I have immensely enjoyed following this team this year, and I feel like I know twice as many people half as well as I should. Although this season is far from over, I hope that you underclassmen are realizing how valuable to the team you were this year, and how you can build on that to get us off to a great start in 2010. Also, congrats to all Seniors who raced their last on Friday. You guys probably can't see me right now, but I'm giving you a standing ovation.

Next Up

Regionals at Maxwell Park! After twisting some arms at the IHSA office, they agreed to let you guys race in Bloomington so that I don't have to travel to watch you next weekend.

H.E.A.R.T.

...is waking up the fire that burns within you and deciding to see what you are truly made of....it's more than the drive to succeed its, the desire to not be content with your second best.

I've seen you all do some amazing things since you joined this cross country team. I've seen each of you step up to the line as freshman and I've seen many of you improve by leaps and bounds during your time under the guidance of the Morton cross country team. This Friday though, you are about to come up against another test of your skills and your will to succeed. For some of you it may be the last time you lace up your shoes to race, for others it may be the beginning of another journey with running. So many kids say they love the sports they play and some truly do but you're not all that sure...yeah they're smiling while they do it but you're never sure. With you guys and gals though...it's not a question in my mind. I see the love of the sport in the frown on your face as you cross the finish line because you know there was more left....I've seen it in the look of determination as time and again the team has met for a extra practice run...I've also seen it though in the way you run. The way a man or woman will go a little harder in a practice to push themselves a little harder and instead of dropping their practice group, 1, 2, maybe even 7 runners dig and give the extra push...most powerfully I've seen it on the last couple miles of a harder run when the pack strings out and as the group pairs off with man dueling man (ladies I've never run with you during this part but I will assume it's the same for argument's sake), and as you come to the last straight you are pushing your body to it's psychological limit not necessarily sprinting but testing yourself...it is there as you come to a stop and look at your friend...there in THAT moment as you congratulate one another you KNOW...

that's loving your sport boy and girls...that is what it means to strive for your best. You have all chosen to do your best by being your best. Conference is not the end for a single one of you: be you a senior runner who swears they'll never run again, a freshman-junior who'll be back next year, or a varsity runner who has a whole lot left to do...you're not done. If running represents anything in life it's that if you work hard you can accomplish great things.

Never stop running...never stop striving to be your best...never say, "I can't...." and never EVER say, "I could have tried harder..." because always remember:
The eagle flies at midnight...but you have flown higher and farther than that eagle EVER could!
-Nathan

East Peoria meet, wind, mud and all

What a weird introduction!
Yesterday, the Potters got a chance to set records. They set records for how many different stalks of corn they could run around in approximately 16-30 minutes. By my count, the record was set by Adam Geier, who successfully circumnavigated 1,342,759 stalks of corn. And his record was also tied by every other Potter on the team! They're all winners!

This was a chance to preview the Sectional course, and despite East Peoria High School's attempt to hide their course under a blanket of unharvested corn, corn that will probably be gone come Sectional time, the Potters were still able to discern the white lines, flags, and little signs to find their way. And there is also a rumor that some of them got splashed with mud puddles. And that certain East Peoria runners were tap dancing in the puddles in an attempt to contaminate the Potter team.

And now, after two of the most random, absurd paragraphs in the history of mankind, I will summarize these races.

The Girls Race
The girls knew going in that this race was going to be a tough one, as the East Peoria girls team is one of the top AA teams in the state. Nevertheless the Potters raced tough and showed well. On a windy day, after leading the first half mile, Ashley Pribble held onto a second place finish to Jane Who-Done-It of East Peoria. She was followed by a large pack of East Peoria runners chased closely by Grace Jankowski. Macaela Bennett ran 3rd for the Lady Potters, with Hannah Behle and Caitlin Pribble scoring 4th and 5th. The varsity squad was closed out by Nicole Lockwood and Ashley Coon.

I believe most (or all) of the top 7 was clear of 23 minutes. The ladies are rounding into shape as a team, as they are bringing their average down and closing that gap from their 2nd runner to their 5th and 7th. It will be great to see these ladies at their best in the Mid-Illini, Regional, and hopefully Sectional meets. Some Potters who shall remain unnamed, but whose names rhyme with Schmicaela Fennett, ran with their spikes untied.

The Boys Race
The boys were driving on three wheels yesterday as they were without regular #2 man Nick Piper and #7/8 guy Alex Stowers. Both athletes have minor injuries, and I believe are taking the necessary rest, and are expecting to be back in racing form shortly. Nevertheless, the remaining Potters stepped up, and showed East Peoria that even a Potter team running at about 74.325% can take one of the best teams in the area all the way to the line.

The race started as a conservative affair for the first mile or so, and then up front it turned into a battle of Joe Zeller vs. Hugh Gill and Kevin Eades. This was followed by Dale Domnick matching EPs third runner (Gonzales?) and Austin Bradford running with their 4th (Cortez?), followed closely by Nathan Smith. After this was EPs 5th and 6th runners, running near Dan Getz, and followed by Andrew Young.

The battle up front dwindled to Zeller vs. Eades, with Zeller running a smart race, and finishing a close second. Dale Domnick, meanwhile, in a worthy effort to make up for his injured teammates, handily dispatched his opponent and even caught and passed Gill in the final half mile to place 3rd. East Peoria took the next three spots, followed closely by Dan Getz, who closed strongly. Dan is showing a consistent ability to close well, and that his recent appearances in the Potter top 5 were not flukes.

Dan made a valiant effort effort to catch EPs 4th man, but alas the gap was simply too large. He was followed closely to the chute by not just one, but two Potters in Nathan Smith and Austin Bradford. Next around the turn onto the road were EPs 5th and 6th runners, with a determined Andrew Young 20 meters back. Those of us observing knew that if Andrew could beat those two athletes, the team contest would be close, within a few points. Andrew delivered, eating his opponents up down the gravel road, passing them as they made the last sweeping turn, and then putting even more distance on them as he closed the finishing straight. Nick Steffen came in as the 7th Potter.

Andrews efforts put the Potters close, as they only lost 27-29 by my math. All it would have taken would be for one Potter to have caught one more Raider, and the score would have been 28-28, which the Potters would have won on the 6th man. While this may be very frustrating, it's a good sign to be that close when you're missing your #2 man. With Pipes in the mix, they would have won handily. Once again, maybe frustrating, but it's a good sign for the Sectional. Both teams will improve by the Sectional, but Morton stands to improve more from this race. This was our first true look at one of the key competitors in the sectional and it was a good one. We now know that Morton can take them. It won't be easy, they can't get complacent about it. But they can do it.

Awards
It's time for some awards, which we haven't been doing enough of lately. If you're new to the blog, or need a refresher, see this to get a summary of what the awards are all about.

The Rocky Award - Dale Domnick. Dale did a great job of stepping up yesterday, and closing down on Hugh Gill and beating him was an unexpected bonus for the Potters and a decisive move in keeping the race as close it was. I haven't seen the splits, but I would not be at all surprised if he had the fastest 3rd mile of any athlete in the race.

Jack-o-Lantern Award - Macaela Bennett. This wasn't so much a facial expression, as the definition of the award states, but more of an excited exclamation that is true to the spirit of the award. As she ran past Coach Zehr and I a little past the half mile mark, she was just kind of staring in our direction and I was bewildered as to why, until she just blurted out that her shoe was untied. Something about the way that transpired was rather humorous and award-worthy.

Metronome - Dan Getz. I haven't seen splits yet, but I have a feeling Dan's seemingly fantastic close was the result of yet another well paced Getz race. I used to feel good about teaching Dave to pace races better than I ever did....now I know that it's just how the Getzii roll, and I did nothing special.

Punisher/Photo Finish - Andrew Young. Andrew has raced with determination in all of the past few races, and yesterday he delivered in the final stretch in a way that deserves both awards. His battle to defeat the two Raiders was easily the most exciting finish of the race, and was necessary in keeping the team race as close as it was.

Morale Rooster - Lydia Nace. This award is actually given retroactively for her excitement on Saturday at the Peoria Central Invitational. Sadly, in our excitement to video blog, Dave and I completely forgot any awards. Saturday, Lydia was probably more excited than I've ever seen anyone at a cross country race, shouting things along the lines of, 'is this not the best day ever?!?!' You have no idea the excitement that preceded this picture. Though you can't see Lydia's face in it, I think Andrew and Dales' faces give pretty decent evidence of her enthusiasm.

Next Up
Next up, the Potters go camping someplace in Indiana, Dave listens to classical music, Nathan writes something about eagles at midnight, and I punish myself for 26 miles before consuming loads of Chicago pizza. After that, upon the Potters return, the Mid-Illini meet is next Friday evening at Detweiller Park.

Morton Came, Morton Saw, Morton Conquered: A Dramatic Re-Telling of the 2009 Peoria Invitational

Once again the guys and girls of the Morton Potters Cross Country program didn't disappoint the many fans who came to watch them at Detwieller Park for the Peoria Invitational. In the most recently written chapter of the current historic Cross Country season, the Potters, both guys and girls, continued to show tremendous improvement following an intense duel meet in Metamora on Tuesday. The weather was ideal for racing. The air was crisp, the temperature was cool but not cold, and there was a slight mist of precipitation. The only slightly negative aspect to the course was the fact that the ground was somewhat soft. Still, the Potters didn't let this dampening fact dampen their spirits. As Steve and Dave are about to tell you, it was great day:

Steve and Dave Video Blog about the Race:

Girls Varsity Race

Boys Varsity Race

Photos

Once again, Steve took several magnificent photos during the race. Some of his finest work can be viewed at this link.

In Conclusion...

As was previously stated, the Potters will venture to East Peoria to take on the Raiders on Tuesday. Besides being a fierce Mid-Illini competition, this race will also give the Potters a chance to preview the course that they will be racing at the IHSA Sectional.

H.E.A.R.T.

...is always running the best you can when you think you can't...and running the race of your life every time because the race of you life doesn't mean the best time up the ability to run is makes it fun. What does it mean to love this great sport of ours? It's waking up in the morning and being excited because it's Saturday and you get to run 3 miles...for fun! It's the feeling of butterflies in your stomach as you step to the line because you get to race again.

I will make the assumption that we all love running for the sake of making a point and pose a question:
You joined this team for a reason that is your own but what is the commonality?

Is it that everyone is really fast and it's an easy sport? Well I'll answer that one for you...nope sorry this sport isn't easy and it definitely isn't true that everyone is really fast...I can name a few races where I was mighty slow. So it's not that.
What about the fitness benefits? Well sure that could be it but why not just run around the block a few times, why join a team that does mile repeats and fartleks if your only goal is to be fit? No that can't be it either.
What about the team dynamic? We might have a winner...but what's so special about this team? That's easy: you have a bunch of kids that are all great people...put them in a sport where hard work is directly rewarded...let them have a few carbo-loading parties and you get something special. A simple family. More specifically add to this that these kids will now spend 6-7 hours easy a week running around the town of Morton...you now have the perfect environment to become great friends as each person tells stories and laughs with their friends.

You have all chosen a sport that is a great bonding tool...that is a great test of character. You now have the opportunity to take a quiz tomorrow in the test of life: you've studied hard all summer, you've done your homework this Fall, and now it's time to test what you've learned. Have fun and remember that just like a test you must always try your best.

The eagle flies at midnight...but you have flown higher and farther than that eagle EVER could!
-Nathan