2024 JO XC Nationals

DO IT FOR THE STORY 

Any meet that ends with a tractor pull must have a good story to go with it.  Many of our club mottos and scheduling routines were put to the test. The community carried the day.  The team learned the value of resilience and community.

Expect the Unexpected

On the externalities of the meet, the event was a combination of the memorable features of previous JO XC nationals: the snow, rain and mud of Tallahassee and Reno, the San Antonio single lane access parking, the van art of Madison, the shift in weather of ABQ, and the energy of multiple teams experienced in Myrtle Beach and Madison. To this soup, we added a visit to the Eiffel Tower that included a talk with the mayor of Paris, a late night homecoming of KY state troopers, a 2:30 AM  tornado warning that was "downgraded" to a severe T-Storm Warning, and vans stuck in the mud somewhere in the swamps of Kentucky. It is beyond the scope of this report to determine the relative merit of this year’s post-race activity: Tractor Van Pull. (Video below) It was unique and rivals ziplining, bowling, go-karting, carnival games, and the hotel pool.

Thank You Daniel

The "Kentucy" Van

Moments after meeting the mayor

Man Van 

Women Warriors

In New England, we’re proud of our 4 seasons and Paris KY gave us nearly all 4 plus the sobering tornadoes. Friday was mild and course was mostly green. Even after the overnight rain and thunderstorms, the Saturday morning temperatures were still in 60s. To ensure the thunderstorms had passed and to buy some time to clean up the course, the event schedule was pushed back 60 minutes.

Better to have and not need then need and not have 

The night before, we inspected spikes and upgraded most to either new inserts or longer inserts. However, we were one pair of spikes short. (Friday night: Maybe it won't rain that much, he'll be OK, it is what it is, you've run every race in sneakers) Once the conditions were witnessed live, shoes sizes were solicited from the 11-12 in hopes of finding a swap between races. It turned out that Bella packed an extra pair of spikes that fit and Ryan was "Cinderella Man"

Arrive Early

When I arrive at the course, the team tents are still standing but the clerking tent is down, and the whole team tent area is mud. I submit the final rosters and double check with the timers. Out on the course there are new streams crossing parts of the course, generally sogginess, and a steady 20 MPH wind. The relentless rolling hills of the course were still standing.

Tent City

11-12s leave the hotel first with Ben and encounter a backup getting into the parking area. WhatsApp alarms are sent to 13-14s to get underway. 11-12 competitors and parents get out of the car and walk up. Ben negotiates parking at the adjacent Paris Stockyards. His charm and brilliance will only later reveal itself.

13-14 vans muster ahead of schedule to account for the traffic. There's a quiet few minutes to set up the tent and watch the first races to see how the start is flowing.

11-12 Girls Race Take 1 - 58F

Now we’re approaching the 11-12 Girls race for Daria and Bella. They head up to the warm up area and get moving through the routines. For good measure, we tape up the spikes. Winds start picking up. I tell Daria and Bella to take advantage of the wind that will be at their back for 400m at the start. “At least it’s not raining” said a parent from another club. 👀

Daria and Bella check in and I head over to the tent to see who’s made it from the 13-14 girls. They too had jumped out of the van and walked up to the course. Meanwhile Mike and Aaron were “parking” the vans. Most of the girls are making their way up the hill from the port-a-potties when a few drops of rain appear. Some are wearing their racing shorts and others have sweat pants on. One has already taken a mud bath. It’s all good, it’s 58 F even if the wind is a factor

With the few rain drops falling , I head back to the tent to get my rain jacket. I turn around, Bella and Daria are back in the tent. The officials had sent the 11-12s off the start due to a lightening strike in the area. Then It starts coming down harder. The sweatpants become sponges and no one is dry. An additional 30 minute delay is announced. This sets off a general scramble of athletes across all teams. The report of lightening in the area escalates into “There’s a tornado in the area” (It was a lightening strike 5 miles away not a tornado)

As one would expect, these reports were unsettling to our team. Little comfort in the “Oh it’s just lightening and not a tornado” We get the 13-14 girls together and let vans know were coming back to seek shelter. The girls huddle to support each other through the uncertainty of what was going on and the reality of the rain. “Stockyard” Ben takes over the 11-12 Girls and Boys. 11-12 Girls are supposed to run in 20 minutes. Somewhere along the way, Ben and others get the tent heater turned on. Our vans were easy to spot as they were “perpendicularly” parked and stuck in the mud on the side of a hill. The wet, cold, and anxious girls pile in. With now a 90 minute delay, they have time to gather themselves, get a snack, catch their breath and try to dry off with new Walmart towels Mike acquired on Friday. Some attempts to unstick the vans were made but the optimism of Mike and Aaron won out: “With this wind, it will probably dry up some and we’ll get them out later.” I’m not sure about the next sound I hear but I think it was Mo and Joanna, sitting in the “Man Van" at the top of hill, laughing.

11-12 Girls Take 2 - 12:30 55F

The rain came hard but it went through fast. The wind was still there and now the temperature is falling. I returned to 11-12 Girls race that went off at 12:30. Daria and Bella ford through the new streams, mud, hills, and make it to finish line cold and muddy. They showed the team it could be done and gave us an idea of what to expect. Not easy being first. Daria and Bella supported each other all weekend and this support was especially important as chaos literally swirled around them.

13-14 girls have returned to the tent and the 13-14 boys have arrived.  With the 90 minute delay girls race is 2:00 and the boys race 2:45.  On my way to find the 11-12 boys in the warm up area, I tell the 13-14s that I will be back to meet them in the tent at 1:05.  My intent was to do a reset after the earlier tumult.  I check in with the officials to confirm these starting times and head up to the start.  The Belmont boys are checked-in. All Frido and Noah really need now is a football to toss around. With that tail wind, it would have been interesting to see. I hope they retain the "no sweat" attitude in the years to come.

Now it gets interesting.  

I swing by the tent on the way out to the course to watch the 11-12 boys.  Thanks to Aaron's friend Frank, we get wind of another schedule change. The event is now trying to catch up. The 13-14 girls race is now 1:30 not 2:00. The intended 1:05 meeting turns into a 12:55 ‘Let’s go we’re racing in 35 minutes’  and boys you’re going in an hour.  The 90 minutes delay is now a 30 minute hurry up.  The temperature is  down into the mid-40s and wind is here to stay.  As I go out to the course for 11-12s, the girls gather their stuff and head up to the warm up area.  

11-12 Boys -  11:30, 12:30 1:00 45F

In the 11-12 boys race, Noah and Frido quickly find themselves in the densest  part of the race.  They negotiate the S-curve at 400m and the subsequent down hill into the 1K mark. They come through the outer loop and they remain in a sea of runners holding their own.  To get back to the front side, they run through a steady 20 MPH wind that as we'll find out later isn't drying anything out. The density holds through the finish, there are ~ 12-15 runners within 10 second on either side of their finish time.  Noah is 71st and Frido, only 26 seconds later, is 120th.

Respond not React - Applies to the whole team 

Meanwhile the 13-14 girls get a warm up loop in, some dynamics, and 2 hard charges up the hill.  The girls have adopted Abby Arbatane who also had to jump out of her car. Now, 12 hours after the tornado warning, 3 schedule changes, a 15 degree drop in the temperature, and 90 minutes after the lightening evacuation, it’s 15 minutes to the gun. They still need to get spiked up and taped up.  For many good reasons, there was nervousness and more hanging in the air.  Tape was flying, wind was blowing, coaches and parents were getting spiked as we taped. Most were entering the largest and most competitively dense race they had ever been involved in.  There was a lot coming at them.

However it’s this 15 minutes that they made their race.  Individually and collectively, they could have reacted to the events and let them dictate the moment. While it took a concerted effort, they chose to respond and try to  take control of themselves.  It’s not that they weren’t feeling  nervous. They  definitely were. I know they weren't comfortable. However, right at the moment when those feelings could have overwhelmed everything they found a way through.  They walked to end of the diving board and jumped in. The next time they face a chaotic race, hopefully they will build on this.

13-14 Girls - 12:30 2:00 1:30 43F

In those 15 minutes, the ask was to focus on the first 400m. On the whole, the team got out aggressively. Sasha and Audrey rarely need encouragement to take 400m fast and they took the team out to the hairpin. At 600m, Ellie was in position in the top 15 , Sasha was working to settle but still in among the top 15! After the hairpin, it got very tight but they were holding their positions waiting for the pack to string out. Adelle, Georgea, and Suri were somewhere in the 65-75th spots. Ailinn is only a few seconds behind this group. Audrey is settled in and Sophie was taking her normal stalking approach looking to make her move later in the race. Nora was out to see what the day held in store and got out well. Erin was in position to hit her goal.

At this point the course goes out into a quiet, if now stream-crossed, 600m loop. This loop had the most challenging footing including a muddy downhill banked turn featuring the new stream. This caused a little bit of separation in the field. The loop leads to first of the "roller coaster" hills on the course. The uphill works through a quartering wind and they are still going strong and running smart. Sasha is feeling her start as she takes the hill and by the top Georgea has pulled up along side to help out. Adelle is fast on Georgea's heels. (Nordic skiers know the uphills and the Alpine skiers know the down)

The rollercoaster leads to the same isolated ~1K loop that the 3K races ran. (Read "chewed up" ) On this loop, it was just them and their competitors keeping the energy and the pace. Their independence will be tested. They are rewarded coming back to the main side of the course with 300m of into the wind running. (but it is net downhill :)

With 1000m to go, Ellie is around 20 and holding up and there is a gap back to 26th. (Top 25 earn All American) Georgea and Sasha are still working together with a close chase pack of Adelle, Ailinn, and Suri who were still in dense traffic. Sophie starts to move up and has found Audrey who's looking to make it to that closing 400m uphill. Audrey had convinced herself is was just a 2x400m workout with a 2 mile recovery run in between. There are a lot of humans to work through. Erin is still tracking her goal as she works uphill into the final 800m. This section is a test of focus as you have to go past the finish line with a good bit of work left. Nora is not giving up.

In the end there are 8 Waltham runners in the top 106, 5 in the top 85. This earns the team 5th place. Ellie finishes 22nd to earn an All-American recognition. Due to two scoring issues, the results won't go official for 90 minutes+. No big deal, I hear the nightlife in Paris is wonderful.

13-14 Boys - 1:00 2:30 2:00 2:15 42F

When the 13-14 girls race was moved to 1:30, they announced the boys were going at 2:00. At some point during the girl's race they restore the original 45 minute gap and the race is 2:15. The boys are ready to go at 2:00 and waiting to check in. Their spikes are on and taped up thanks to Joanna and the deputized staff. I check to see if their 1/2 inch spikes have caused any wounds. Nothing some mud won't take care of. They are coaxed into another warm up loop and then finally they get checked in.

13-14 boys race at the national level is eye opening. You have teams comprised of high school freshman coming in off of a 5K racing season racing against 7th and 8th graders who were running 3K.  Then you throw in difference in the growth curve and it get more interesting still.  

The gun goes off and this more experienced pack is going hard for the inside line at the hairpin.  Patrick and JT really get out well and find themselves in the top 20 at 400m.  They actually have room.  The race quickly gets dense.  The rest of the team is caught in traffic and will have to work to find each other.  At 600m, JT has closed off the daylight with Patrick.  At 1K, JT and Patrick remain in the Top 25.  JT perhaps has started to race early at this point.  At the mile mark, Ryan and John have found each other as will Dash and Luke.  Luke is pained but Dash looks excited as they come up the hill. 

With a mile to go, as they make the turn back into the wind, Patrick is still flowing but is now 29th or 30th in a dense pack. JT is about 10-12 places back. Ryan and John are still close if showing some strain working back into the wind. Ryan tries to tuck in behind runners and John is in a small gap in the field that will squeeze down over the last mile. Dash has eased ahead of Luke and remains focused. Luke is laboring and trying to stay in contact. The team's finish will come down the 5th runner.

Now we're onto the finishing loop. Patrick heads into the final 500m somewhere around 28th. He starts attacking the 100m of downhill that proceeds the 400m uphill finishing. JT can see Patrick and leans into hill. "Spurred" on by his spikes, Ryan is in pursuit mode. John is digging for a 3rd wind that he'll need in the closing 200m.

Where is and who is going to be the 5th runner today? I start walking back up towards the finish and see Dash with 600m to go. It's go time and it appears that he recognizes the hill and starts gaining momentum.

Then it's "Mt Washington Time" with final 250m uphill into the wind. Is Patrick 24th or 28th? The competitors drifting back and positioning are changing. With about 150 to go, Patrick eases by 2 but there are competitors coming from behind. This is going to be close and from 150m out I can't call the finish. JT is bounding up the hill making me think of Thomas the Tank Engine. He moves passed 2 competitors over the last 20m. Ryan and John both have their eyes up ahead and competing hard. Ryan and John both get by about 4 competitors in the last 20m. Dash makes the turn for home and I'm sure all he can see are muddy shirts ahead. He stays on the gas and methodically works the hill. He presses the final 50m and gets by 2 in the last 20m and almost catches a 3rd from Thomson Training.

Patrick captures the last All-American spot by a half second and the 13-14 teams finishes 7th by 11 points over Acadania. Those efforts over the last 150m and then the closing 20m made the difference in the team race.

Van Excavation - 39 F

With the official results delayed and weather not getting warmer,  we decide to do the awards back at the hotel.  The athletes and parents pack up and make their way back to the vans.  You remember the vans. 

This is where the team's competitive streak really kicks in.  They've heard the stories of Reno, Tallahassee, Madison, and Albuquerque.  "Hold my Chocolate Milk" they all say and off they go.  Aaron and Mike's optimism about drying out is not rewarded but the Bourbon County community kicks in.  After I'm sure various efforts to push through the mud,  the local team brings in one type of tractor.  It is able to nudge the vans from their original spot but now they are  farther down the hill but still stuck.  The parents give it a few more pushes but  the call goes out for a "Bigger Boat"   20 minutes later, Daniel comes riding over the field with his brand new mud tires and chain.  Daniel crawls under the van to find a place to attach the chain.  It's time to put the icing on this cake.   This video only catches part of the ride the girls had but now  they were out.   Somewhere I hope we have a picture of the mud flying 15 feet high off of  the truck tires.   

PS

Rules, Appeals, and Delays

For those who like the intrigue of the rules and battlefield decisions of race officials, this section is for you.  There is a 30-minute appeals window after each race.   However, they didn't start the appeals clock on the 13-14 girls race at its conclusion.  It turns out the start line officials let a few late arriving girls run in the boys race.  (Stuck in traffic)   "Let them run and figure it out later"  So the 13-14 girls race "is still on course with the 13-14 boys"   This provides some time to look at the preliminary results.   There is a scoring error across the entire field that leaves off the 8th runner from the displacement.  It's really hard to tell how that impacts the team scoring but it's wrong.   Other coaches pick up on the decision to have the girls run in the boys race and start trying to figure out what to do.  The appeals window isn't open because the race isn't done.   While the team heads to the vans, I get back to my rule book to check the scoring rules for Junior Olympics.  It's not the last time I'll open the book that day.   The appeals clock is now running.   Not sure if I should raise the scoring issue but now I see our team has moved from 6th to 5th in the new results.  I double check if I have $100 cash for the appeals fee and head over to find an official to discuss.  On the way, I find another coach.   After a bit of bouncing around as the clock is ticking, we find the referee.  On the matter of the 8th runner scoring, the referee agrees to take that to the timer without the need of an official appeal.  On the matter of the girls running with the boys, we try to sort out who it was.  No one has recorded who they were at the start and they automatically scored into the girls race based on their bib numbers.  The referee "thinks" it was just unattached. Another coach claims is was a member of the winning team.  However, the winning teams was so far ahead even if it was their #1 runner, they still win.  While a deeper look at the chip data could have been asked for no coach is sure that it will change anything.  No one files an appeal.  Thankfully the boys appeal window was now only a few minutes behind the girls.  With both windows closed, I can pick up the medals and head home.  (I didn't yet know the vans were still stuck!) 

Then on the way home, after another stop at Happy People Cafe,  Peter Crapsey from NE Elite calls.  His 15-18 girls team tied for 3rd but are told they lost the tiebreaker on the 6th runner.  That's the high school rule not the USATF rule.  For these USATF races, the 5th runner is the tiebreaker.   (Rule 7.9.B)   I pull over, open the rulebook and provide the reference to Peter.   He files his appeal and his team is declared the winner based on the fact that NE Elite's 5th runner finished ahead of Arkansas Track's 5th runner. 

That's it!

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