Well, that was about as interesting of a meet as one will see, with the storm delay before we started, the mud and the down pour just before the Boys Varsity race that made the course even muddier, causing even more runners to slip and slide, and occasionally slide into water.
However slow all of the times were, and how they got slower as the day went on, the Cardinal runners kept running and did what they could to finish. There were a few bumps and bruises, but we are hoping we came out of the day healthy and that we can move on from it. With the number of runners that were there and the course conditions, we really focused on trying to stay relaxed, embrace the mud, and get through the race as positive as they could. We know some struggled and others enjoyed themselves, but we did have some solid performances and even a few Personal Bests. Two of the youngest on the team probably had the best overall days, with Nico C and Kendall M both improving a lot time wise as well as within the team rankings! It is always fun to see someone still learning the sport and about themselves go out and have a really good day in tough conditions!!
Overall meet results can be found by clicking on the link above for Gopher State Events. Go through their results and click on Milaca Mega Meet. I will have our individual times up later today or tomorrow.
Lastly, if ever there was a day to understand why kids do Cross Country Running and why it should be a sport that more should really take a serious look at doing, it was yesterday. Even with the delay at the beginning, the change in schedule, conditions getting worse, and the slow times, it was a great day to be a runner. Talking to coaches that were former runners, they were wishing they could run and missing the days they had similar to this. During the delay, all runners were sent to the closest bus, teams getting seperated and having to intermingle with other teams, yet when one was to walk between the alley of buses, they were all having a great time, talking between buses, talking to those walking by and enjoying themselves. There was also the impromptu water slide before the races started as the ditches filled with water and runners, fans, and coaches alike, lining the ditch cheering each other on (my guess is that many videos were posted on social media yesterday, so if you missed it, you might be able to find it online!!). But the fun and togetherness didn't stop there. In what other sport would you have the Varsity Boys lined up and then have the sky's open up with rain only to hear the whole field start cheering, with the energy level going up even more? Or seeing hundreds of JV Boys start chanting "JV, JV,..." in unison before they started to run, and what was nice was that the JV Girls started to do the same thing before their race, which was the first time I have seen that. It is a sport that many want to push to the side because it is "running" and everyone must be crazy to run that far. But, in actuality, it might be the best sport for everyone. Everyone is the same, no matter how fast or slow they are, everyone is getting cheered on and everyone gets to be a part of the fun and excitement, just look at the start of all of the races, wow!! Right up to the end though, it was a good day to be a runner. Walk around the course and you will see runners every where cheering on those still running, but also joining together in and around a creek rinsing themselves from the mud collected in the race, and just having fun. So if you were there, you got to experience what it can truly be like to embrace being a runner, and if you have been wondering if you should join running as a sport or just to get yourself doing some exercise, check out the 2019 Milaca Mega Meet online for videos and you will see what running can bring to life!!
Thanks and glad to see so many of you out there yesterday!!
Denny
