The Season Comes to an End

Greensboro, NC (site of New Balance Outdoor Nationals)
June 15th, 2014

I realize that the title of this blog implies that the entries will concern “Paths Less Traveled” and I also realize that Greensboro, NC is hardly a path (read: destination) which is traveled infrequently. However, the end of this track season also marks the beginning of what I hope will be a summer replete with the aforementioned paths and destinations less traveled. Likewise, it would be very remiss of me not to take time for at least a quick reflection of the season. This season was unlike any other I had ever experienced in that instead of being the one who was competing I was, instead, on the other end of things; I was coaching. While I miss the competition, my teammates, my coach, and many other aspects of being the athlete, I loved every...well almost every...second of coaching. 

Ouch!

Just another run in the cold and snow around Medina.

Officially it (the track season) started in early March, but in reality it started much earlier than that for most. Most of the success which was realized by the girls would not have come to fruition had it not been for them enduring the dark and bitterly cold winter of 2013-2014. To be successful at anything, and by successful I mean the best you can be, there must be sacrifice involved. Distance running is no different, and that sacrifice this year, more often than not, took the form of time, pain and the loss of feeling in toes, fingers, and faces. Neither ice, nor snow, nor single digit temperatures, nor below zero wind chills kept them away from pursuing their goals. So, to them, major props.

I had no real reason to expect most of these girls to buy into the training I was doling out to them. Many of them had been very successful under their former coach (Medina legend!) Phil Brewer, and it can be difficult on an athlete, physically as well as mentally, to have to transition to another coach’s training and philosophy. Well, to their credit they did buy in and were largely successful in achieving their goals. Much of that success is owed to the tradition and culture that was previously established at Medina and once again I must invoke the name of Phil Brewer in order to thank him for being the cultivator of said tradition. Having the privilege of teaching right across the hall from him, I can say that he is a continuing presence in that he is wholeheartedly supportive of all of the girls and myself.

I must also thank Scott VanFleet. As the head coach of the track team (and another Medina legend to boot!) he did more than anyone when it came to providing me with an opportunity to coach. For one he recommended me for the position, but even more meaningful than that was the support and freedom he gave me to structure things how I wanted to structure them. I am sure there were times when he doubted whether or not my the workouts and training I prescribed would provide the best benefit, and I undoubtedly made mistakes through the season, but he never encroached in a negative way. In just one short year of coaching with him I have learned many things about the art of it all. Here's to another decade of him being the head coach! 

For the sake of brevity I cannot highlight all of the season’s successes as they are quite numerous, but suffice to say that much was accomplished.

• Maria Scavuzzo as conference champ in the 1600: 5:10
• Sarah Pack as conference champ in the 800: 2:19
• Tessa Dombi running a 33 second PR in the 3200 at Berea Relays (11:31)
• Nabbing 6 of 7 possible regional qualifying spots at the Amherst District in the distance events, which included:
• 4x8, 3rd
• 1600, Maria (2^nd) and Tarynn (4^th, also a 12 second PR in that race)
• 800, Sarah (2^nd)
• 3200, Maria (2^nd) and Tessa (3^rd)

Unfortunately, the Regional meet was somewhat of a heart-breaker. Top 4 in each event advance to the state meet and the 4x8 team was 5^th, Tarynn was 5^th in the 1600 and Sarah was 5^th in the 800. Fortunately the 4x4 ran a great race and qualified with the 4^th spot.

A great experience for everyone.

Of course, then there was the 4x1600. At the Berea Relays in early May, the team of Maria Scavuzzo, Kimmy Vidika, Tarynn Cullings, and Sarah Pack ran 21:17 and in doing so broke the school record and qualified for New Balance Outdoor Nationals. The meet was a great experience for all of them, and while the end result wasn’t as fast as they would have liked, I think it was the process that was the most gratifying aspect of the whole thing. It is a long season and to try and sustain top form for so long can be a difficult thing, but these girls continued to stay committed and competed to the best of their abilities. Those types of experiences are the ones which just continue to build on the distance running tradition at Medina High School and inspire bigger and better things in the future.

The record setting 4x1600 team.

I try not to be TOO intense.

Is this an end to the season? Yes, but for everyone it is much more than that. In fact, it is a beginning of sorts. For some of the graduated seniors it the beginning of their collegiate running careers. For the underclassman it is the beginning of a new focus (after a well-deserved break): the fall cross country season. And for me? It is the beginning of a reflection process on the first year of coaching. My collegiate coach, Lee LaBadie, always told us that he gets 90% of the credit when we have good workouts and that we (as athletes) get 90% of the credit when we have good races. Well, this season was littered with good races and in the end, my first year of coaching would have been nothing without a group of athletes who had the desire and motivation to be successful and put up with my slightly temperamental and ever-demanding nature. The success, therefore, is >90% attributed to them.

In retrospect, THAT is the path less traveled: having a group of athletes who buy into a program and put everything on the line in an attempt to achieve greatness.

In closing, there are a few other parties I must thank, for without them the season, and what I know about coaching, would not have been complete:

• The parents and families of the athletes
• My high school coach, Chad Sexton
• My college coach, Lee LaBadie
• My parents, Cory and Ellen Olson 
• Jeff Harrison and Jill Miller
• The administration at the high school
• And, once again, the girls on the team. Without them, there would be no team. 

Now, onward towards my summer adventures…

Grand 'ole Pikes Peak as seen from Woodland Park, CO