This is officially a wrap on our 2024 season…there are no more meets and no more practices! I can’t emphasize enough how much I have enjoyed coaching these tremendous kids and how gratified I am by the progress they’ve made this year…thank you for supporting our program!
Last Week’s Recap
On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, we had nineteen of our athletes travel to run at Nike Cross-Regionals Southwest (NXR) in Mesa, Arizona. We had 10 girls and 9 boys make the trip, along with Coach Bentley, Coach Hazard, Tina Oleynik (and her daughter Svetlana), and Aric Haarala. Jonathan Carnett, Shauni and Colby Frost, and Matt Cowan also traveled down in support of the team.
The team stayed in a large AirBNB in Scottsdale, Arizona, complete with pool, hot tub, putting green, fire pits, foosball, arcade games, and more! Coach Hazard and Tina planned the menu, which was outstanding, and all the adults helped us drive to and from our various locations. Everyone who attended had a great time.
Our boys and girls both raced in the large school open race. Jeffrey Hazard took 1st place overall (combined three heats), Aaron Eskelson took 3rd place overall combined, and Nate Eskelson took 6th place overall combined! Each ran substantial PRs in doing so. We also had standout performances from Lily Griffith (PR over 5K), Carson Fershtut (30 second PR over 5K), Zachary Carnett (52 second PR over 5K), Eva Cowan (12 second per mile pace PR over 5K), and Stephen Bentley (season’s PR for 5K). Everyone who ran had great performances and thought the race was one of the most enjoyable they’d ever run.
NXR 2024: Full Results
| NXR 2024 Boys Results (Score) | NXR 2024 Girls Results (Score) |
|---|---|
| Jeffrey Hazard – 15:29 (1) | Lily Griffith – 20:19 (40) |
| Aaron Eskelson – 15:33 (2) | Abbi Frost – 20:22 (41) |
| Nate Eskelson – 15:40 (5) | Lexy Cluff-Baylon – 20:38 (47) |
| Jordan Jensen – 16:54 (79) | Renee Bentley – 21:28 (73) |
| Carson Fershtut – 17:36 (113) | Bella Rynearson – 23:32 (102) |
| Zachary Carnett – 18:02 (132) | Lillie Haarala – 23:32 (103) |
| Stephen Bentley – 18:22 (145) | Eva Cowan – 24:14 (110) |
| Samuel Elstad – 23:55 (NS) | Ines Wurzenberger – 24:17 (NS) |
| Amri Hazard – 24:58 (NS) | |
| Anna Elstad – 28:57 (NS) | |
| https://bit.ly/nxr2024boys | https://bit.ly/nxr2024girls |
Here are some photos from the trip! As you can, the kids had a blast (as did the adults!)
NXR 2024
Some Videos from the Trip and the Race
This Week’s Training
Again we have two separate tracks of training. Those who did NOT run at NXR should be running again. No workouts at this point, but they should be getting in easy mile along with strides. Athletes who ran at NXR are under strict instructions to rest for at least 10 days before they begin training again. For training this winter, general guidelines based on age and running experience are listed below. If I have talked to an athlete separately about his or her training, he or she should follow the recommendations I gave to them personally. Otherwise, the chart below is a good guideline.
It is not exciting or glamorous, but consistency, especially in the winter months, is what makes successful track seasons in the spring and cross-country seasons in the fall. It is what separates successful teams from moderately successful teams. No one wants to get out and train in the winter cold, but the willingness to do it will set athletes apart during the spring, summer, and fall.
Recommended Winter Mileage
| Year in School | Top 2024 Mileage | Recommended Winter Mileage | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman | < 20 mpw | 10 –> 20 mpw | Start at 10 miles per week and progress to 20 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 20 miles per week. |
| Freshman | 20-30 mpw | 15 –> 25 mpw | Start at 15 miles per week and progress to 25 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 20 miles per week. |
| Freshman | 30-40 mpw | 20 –> 25 mpw | There shouldn’t many in this category. As a rule, I don’t want Freshman running much more than 25 miles per week. |
| Freshman | 40+ mpw | 25 mpw | There shouldn’t be many in this category. As a rule, I don’t want Freshman running much more than 25 miles per week. |
| Sophomore | < 20 mpw | 15 –> 30 mpw | Start at 10 miles per week and progress to 20 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 20 miles per week. |
| Sophomore | 20-30 mpw | 20 –> 35 mpw | Start at 20 miles per week and progress to 35 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 35 miles per week. |
| Sophomore | 30-40 mpw | 25 –> 40 mpw | Start at 25 miles per week and progress to 40 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 40 miles per week. |
| Sophomore | 40+ mpw | 40-45 mpw | Start at 35-40 miles per week and progress to 45-50 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 45-50 miles per week. |
| Junior | < 20 mpw | 15 –> 25 mpw | Start at 15 miles per week and progress to 25 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 25 miles per week. |
| Junior | 20-30 mpw | 20 –> 35 mpw | Start at 20 miles per week and progress to 35 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 35 miles per week. |
| Junior | 30-40 mpw | 25 –> 50 mpw | Start at 25 miles per week and progress to 50 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 50 miles per week. |
| Junior | 40+ mpw | 40 –> 50-60 mpw | Start at 35-40 miles per week and progress to 50-60 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 50-60 miles per week. |
| Senior | < 20 mpw | 20 –> 25 mpw | Start at 20 miles per week and progress to 25 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 25 miles per week. |
| Senior | 20-30 mpw | 20 –> 35 mpw | Start at 20 miles per week and progress to 35 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 35 miles per week. |
| Senior | 30-40 mpw | 30 –> 45 mpw | Start at 30 miles per week and progress to 45 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 45 miles per week. |
| Senior | 40+ mpw | 30 –> 50-65 mpw | Start at 30 miles per week and progress to 50-65 by halfway through the winter. Maintain at 50-65 miles per week. |
General Winter Training Guidelines
- If I have given you specific guidance regarding winter training, please follow that guidance rather than the suggestions in the table above.
- All athletes should be doing strides or hill sprints no less than 3-4 times per week.
- Girls should be running on the lower end of the ranges, and boys should run on the higher end of the ranges (as a general rule).
- Girls should top out at 40-45 miles per week unless higher mileage is cleared by one of the coaches. Girls who want more mileage or aerobic work should talk to the coaches about cross-training options.
- If an athlete gets sick, he or she should rest and not train until you are feeling better.
News & Announcements
It’s the end of the season, but we do have a few announcements!
Indoor Track. Reminder of the indoor track meeting this coming Monday in the Northridge High School Excalibur Room at 2:45 PM. Athletes and parents welcome!
2025 Cross-Country Camp. We will try to finalize the location of next year’s cross-country camp by the end of the year. We’ll announce the location and dates of the camp on the parent’s GroupMe thread.
GroupMe/Slack. I’ve been informed by the powers that be that we can no longer use Slack to communicate with our athletes. I’m evaluating approved alternatives, and will make a decision in the next few weeks. In the meantime, we’ll still use Slack until we transition.