By: Adam Richards
Cross Country is a reclusive sport. Athletes run in the woods far away from the prying eyes of spectators up until the very end of the race. It seems like all anyone really knows about the sport at Pioneer is that these people like to run, a lot.
John Florence a junior and one of Pioneer’s key runners, thinks the situation needs to change. John is aware that “cross country is hard to come out and watch,” but he still knows how great of a community and a sport cross country is. It should be more recognized, people should understand how it works,” Florence said.
The workings of cross country are not that complicated. Each team has seven varsity runners that race for points. Each school's top five finishers gets points for the place that they finish in, with the later athletes finish the more points they get. Each team wants to score the least points by placing the highest with their five runners, and the team's other two runners are in charge of placing high, even though they can't score, so that they drive up the other team's points.
This year Pioneer is doing this better than most as the men's team is ranked first in the state and the women's team has the state's number one girls runner in Ann Forsyth.
Florence knows that part of the reason he loves cross country so much is that “[he’s] good at it,” but he also loves the team atmosphere. We’re ”one big happy family” Florence says. “We’re all nice guys.”
The grueling nature of the sport seems discouraging to newcomers and younger runners, but Florence says that their friendly nature “encourages younger runners.”
“Being a runner is one of the easiest spots to pick up.” ”It's what our bodies are made for,” he says. “If you want to be crazy good you have to have some natural talent” but “ anyone can be a cross country runner if they really want to.”
There is no better place to find your inner runner than under Pioneer’s 80-year-old coach Don Sleeman, who has been coaching at pioneer for 50 years. Under his guidance the men’s team at Pioneer is gunning for another state championship. “The grind never stops,” says Florence and they just have to “train and never become complacent.”
Cross Country is a reclusive sport. Athletes run in the woods far away from the prying eyes of spectators up until the very end of the race. It seems like all anyone really knows about the sport at Pioneer is that these people like to run, a lot.
John Florence a junior and one of Pioneer’s key runners, thinks the situation needs to change. John is aware that “cross country is hard to come out and watch,” but he still knows how great of a community and a sport cross country is. It should be more recognized, people should understand how it works,” Florence said.
The workings of cross country are not that complicated. Each team has seven varsity runners that race for points. Each school's top five finishers gets points for the place that they finish in, with the later athletes finish the more points they get. Each team wants to score the least points by placing the highest with their five runners, and the team's other two runners are in charge of placing high, even though they can't score, so that they drive up the other team's points.
This year Pioneer is doing this better than most as the men's team is ranked first in the state and the women's team has the state's number one girls runner in Ann Forsyth.
Florence knows that part of the reason he loves cross country so much is that “[he’s] good at it,” but he also loves the team atmosphere. We’re ”one big happy family” Florence says. “We’re all nice guys.”
The grueling nature of the sport seems discouraging to newcomers and younger runners, but Florence says that their friendly nature “encourages younger runners.”
“Being a runner is one of the easiest spots to pick up.” ”It's what our bodies are made for,” he says. “If you want to be crazy good you have to have some natural talent” but “ anyone can be a cross country runner if they really want to.”
There is no better place to find your inner runner than under Pioneer’s 80-year-old coach Don Sleeman, who has been coaching at pioneer for 50 years. Under his guidance the men’s team at Pioneer is gunning for another state championship. “The grind never stops,” says Florence and they just have to “train and never become complacent.”