Jayhawk Conference Championship Preview | KJCCC Region 6 Coaches Roundtable (Colby 2025) - Airey Bros.'s Radio

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Speaker 1 (00:01):
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Speaker 2 (00:02):
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
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Speaker 3 (00:14):
Ladies and gentlemen, Howdy and aloha. We are here and
you are there, and we appreciate you tuning in for
another episode of Airy Bros. Radio. Tonight, we are previewing
the twenty twenty five Jayhaw Conference Region six Cross Country
Championships hosted by Colby Community College on Friday, October twenty
fourth in Colby, Kansas. We've got coaches from some of

(00:34):
the top programs in the NJCAA to break down from charts,
key matchups, and who's ready to make noise when he
counts Before we get rolling, y'all know the drill hammer
that like butt. Make sure you're subscribed on YouTube. Drop
a comment or a question in the live chat. We'll
work them in as we're going. As always, this episode
is fueled by Black Sheep endurance and let's not forget

(00:57):
while we're here. We're here to shine a light on coaches,
athletes andros we wish we had access to growing up
while we were going through the recruiting process. All right,
ladies and gentlemen, we've got a packed evening for you. Tonight.
Tonight's lineup is going to start in just a minute
here with Mark Emerson from Butler Community College a returning guest.
The men are ranked number four in the NJCAA and

(01:19):
the women are currently ranked twelfth. Then at seven to
twenty Matthew Scott from Colby Community College. The men are
ranked tenth and the women are ranked twenty fifth. At
seven point forty, Cameron w Reith from Crowley College is
going to be joining us. The men of ranked fifth
and the women are twenty third. At eight o'clock, Jeremy
Windsor is going to be joining us from Highland Community College.

(01:40):
At eight twenty, Juliette Rios from Garden City is going
to be joining us. The men are ranked ninth and
the women are thirteenth. At eight forty, Trey Burton from
Neosho County College will be joining us, and at nine
Jaffette Molinaris from Hutchinson Community College is going to be
joining us. The men are number two and thenber eight.

(02:00):
Without further ado, we're rocking and rolling over here. We
are welcoming coach Mark Emerson from Butler Community College. As
I said, the men are ranked fourth and the women
are ranked twelfth.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
How you doing, sir, Good to see you again.

Speaker 5 (02:13):
You two guys, you too, man, Good, good to be back.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
Yeah, we're stoked to have you back. Things have been
rocking and rolling, and you guys are doing pretty solid
right now. So we want to get you in here
talk a little bit about the regional meet and the
Jayhaw Conference championships and maybe your thoughts on heading up
to Fort Dodge in a couple more weeks.

Speaker 5 (02:34):
Yeah, oh for sure. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:37):
So how's the season treating?

Speaker 6 (02:39):
Yeah, that's good man. You know, we've had some had
some adversity, for sure. You know, I think every season
you have that right some type of university. We've had
some ups, we've had some downs, but I think right
now where we're feeling good, we look good at least,

(03:03):
so I'm hoping, you know, we can put ourselves in
position to do something awesome, you know, coming coming up
on region here the next couple of days.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
So who should we be looking out for going into
the ridge of meeting.

Speaker 6 (03:17):
Yeah, So we got our our top five all returned,
so the same top five as last year.

Speaker 5 (03:26):
Basically Emmanuel Odom is going to be at the front. There.
Another one to watch. I would say is TOFISO. SOFISO
has been working incredibly hard. And we actually went down
to Texas two weeks ago. Awesome meat actually because I'm
a sidetrack here for a sec. But they they had
the horses out there start the race. They had a

(03:49):
canon start the race, and we ended up winning on
the guy side. But they gave.

Speaker 6 (03:54):
Belt buckles, which was pretty nice. We got to I'll
show you guys, actually got right here.

Speaker 5 (03:59):
But it's beautiful baby right here.

Speaker 4 (04:03):
What that's a belt buckle belt?

Speaker 5 (04:07):
Yeah, yeah, title belt for sure.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (04:10):
And the kids got got some too, so they got
something to keep with them forever, you know.

Speaker 3 (04:15):
So that's awesome. I had to run one hundred miles
to get my belt buckles.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
Coach, what race was that? That's a really cool uh Award.

Speaker 5 (04:25):
Old Glory gallup.

Speaker 6 (04:27):
So Cameron Wreath, the Cali coach, actually he said, hey,
you know, you might want to check out this race.

Speaker 5 (04:33):
Kind of cool.

Speaker 6 (04:34):
We were looking at races. I was like, okay, we'll
give it a try, you know. And they hold it
on a ranch this year. They changed the locations ap
ranch and it's pretty cool because it's on a ranch obviously,
but like they have a building filled with like workout equipment, TVs.
It's a gym and on a ranch and they have

(04:55):
the cross country course right there too.

Speaker 5 (04:59):
Yeah, old Glory out.

Speaker 6 (05:00):
They had a country band out there playing during the race.
So I recommend it to anyone that you know is
looking for a race next year that, you know, what's
an awesome experience, especially for the kids. Man, Yeah, that
was awesome.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
So who was the host school for that?

Speaker 5 (05:15):
DVU Dallas Baptists.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
Okay, yeah, okay, I mean, you know, as we've been
doing this, we've learned that the Jayhawk Conference is probably
the toughest conference in the country, especially when it comes
to cross country. So it's not like you're going to
get any any gifts going to to the Conference of

(05:37):
the Region meet. There's going to be you know, it's
almost like a mini national meet, and we're going to
talk with some of those coaches after you as well
this evening. But who do you see as your main
competition on Friday?

Speaker 6 (05:49):
Yeah, we got I mean, there's some good competition all
these as you said. I know, we like to say,
you know SEC of JUCO, right, but I mean I
know on the guys side, it's I got four of
the top ten teams, and I think, you know, girls,
it's pretty close, you know. And I think Hutch obviously,
you know, got a good squad on both sides, Garden

(06:09):
Cities out there competing well and coolby guys to coach
Scott over there is doing some good work, man. So
nothing's given, obviously, but you know that's why we work hard,
prepare and get ready for It's me man, and so
we're excited to see how we do and should be good,

(06:29):
you know.

Speaker 3 (06:30):
So what's the mindset heading in because I know some schools,
some conferences, some regions. You know, it's kind of like
a tempo run for some people because of the competition.
But you know, you've got to come guns of blazing
if you're going after that title. Is the mindset going in,
coming up, coming out with the championships and not we're

(06:52):
not even thinking about nationals?

Speaker 5 (06:54):
I mean, that's the goal.

Speaker 6 (06:55):
We I mean, we we cut the mileage a little
bit this week to get ready, and I mean we'll
go up a little bit next week and.

Speaker 5 (07:02):
Then we'll go back down.

Speaker 6 (07:03):
But you know that that's the goal at the end
of the day. You know, we didn't we never you
know this season. We never talked really talked about championships
that much throughout the season, you know. But you know,
we met this week yesterday and met with the kids
and stuff and said, hey, this is kind of what
we're looking at, you know, and this one's gonna take

(07:25):
to win, you know. And I think everyone was bought
in in terms of like, Okay, this is what we
got to do. We have to play our part, right,
That was the big thing. Told them, Hey, we have
to play our part. Everyone has to play their part.
And if we do that, hey, I'm not going to
guarantee you guys win, but you know, it gives you
guys a shot, right, So, and you know, as a competitor,

(07:49):
as a racer, as a college athlete, like just being
being able to be a part of it and be
in it to win it. That's the fun part, win
or lose, right, Like obviously be nicer to win, right.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
But yeah, so, will the guys be showing up with
their buckles?

Speaker 5 (08:06):
We should yeah, sure, we should get we should get
cowboy hats.

Speaker 6 (08:10):
See one of my one of my international athletes, lel Limo,
he uh, he got a cowboy hat at the end
of the year.

Speaker 5 (08:17):
Actually, I said in America. This is this is an
expression we say. And I got him to say ye
all for the first time.

Speaker 6 (08:24):
Sometimes sometimes I'll see him in the hallway and to
be like, yeehaw, so wear the cat.

Speaker 5 (08:31):
So he does sometimes, Yeah, he does around campus. And
you're a mark.

Speaker 4 (08:37):
You said you had your five guys back from last year.
What is different from those guys this year than it
was last year?

Speaker 6 (08:46):
That was a great question, great question, you know, and
that's something I've thought about the past couple of weeks.

Speaker 5 (08:53):
You know, I think.

Speaker 6 (08:54):
Last year, you know, we had a lot of success,
and we were all freshmen, right, and we came out
and we were racing fast early and winning these meets,
and you know, our cross country program wasn't to that
standard before.

Speaker 5 (09:12):
And you know, we had people telling us how great
we were.

Speaker 6 (09:16):
You know, oh, you guys are third, fourth in the nation,
this that and the third and you know, ultimately, I'll
be honest, I talked to some of the kids about it.
I just don't think we knew how to handle that, right,
you know, just a bunch of freshmen on the team.
You know, what else would you expect? You know, and that,
you know, I think that creeped into training a little

(09:38):
bit and you know, underestimating the competition. Ultimately, we still
ran well at the national meet, right, guys took forth,
you know, but.

Speaker 5 (09:48):
You know, could we done better maybe? But this year,
you know, I think our guys know know what to
expect and they know coming into the region meeting, coming
into national meet, what it's like now, what to expect.
You know.

Speaker 6 (10:04):
It's funny because our girls know a lot of freshmen
and out of our top five, we only have one
return you know, so it's different in terms of them
because now it's like teaching them, hey, we can kind
of do this, like if you look at it this way,
you know, you ladies could do something, and shifting that
perspective to you ladies.

Speaker 5 (10:27):
Can be competitive and you can do something special, you know.

Speaker 6 (10:29):
And so that's been kind of the change a little
bit on both sides there, you know.

Speaker 4 (10:35):
But on the lady side, who do we have to
keep an eye out on.

Speaker 6 (10:39):
Yeah, So Elizabeth Hernandez, she she's all American. She returned
for us this year. She'll be up there somewhere probably second, third, fourth,
She'll be our front runner. You know, I think we
got good depths, I would say, which is nice, and

(11:00):
we had a couple of freshmen. Terrika Clark, she kind
of anchors us at number five. She's been improving a lot,
and she comes in and she works hard. She's a grinder.

Speaker 3 (11:08):
I like.

Speaker 5 (11:09):
I like Terrika because you can just tell her, Hey,
this is what we need to do, and you can
coach Terrika hard and she'll take it and she'll be like, Okay, coach,
this is what we gotta do.

Speaker 3 (11:16):
Right.

Speaker 6 (11:17):
Ellie Calloway is another one. She's a freshman right up
the road. She's a beast. She's had an awesome summer.
You know Madison Bush as well. You know, she's pr
big time this year, past past meet. She's only a freshman.
She's about thirty minutes away from here, you know. So

(11:38):
you know, our our depth, I think, is what's going
to be, you know, to look out for for sure there.

Speaker 5 (11:43):
But yeah, so and we got another one. We got
a couple of mores.

Speaker 4 (11:49):
So you had all your guys return and you had
a woman who is an All American return. What's the
secret to that?

Speaker 5 (11:59):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (12:00):
To what I say to have all Americans return when
they have eligibility left. Sometimes there's coaches that come out
and poach them and you know, want to take them
out of junior college? How'd you keep them? All?

Speaker 5 (12:12):
I can tell you that, I can tell you some stories.
I can tell you well.

Speaker 4 (12:16):
I remember last pad we talked.

Speaker 5 (12:20):
It is ruthless. I feel like I'm fighting off some
of these four year coaches sometimes with whatever, you know.

Speaker 6 (12:25):
But I think at the end of the day, the
way I treat our athletes, you know, it's they're more
than an athlete to me, and they know I care
about them. And I got an awesome team and they're
great people, and so you know, they and they reciprocated
in return. And I know those those kids, you know,
this team, no matter what, I will care about them

(12:47):
forever because I always knew that they.

Speaker 5 (12:49):
Had my back and they will know that, you know.
And so but yeah, have.

Speaker 3 (12:55):
You guys locked horns at all this season with any
other teams in the conference? So far?

Speaker 6 (13:02):
We raised Colby at Missoo, at gans Creek, Garden City,
I don't think so huch, we didn't see so Yeah,
it's gonna be kind of new, it's gonna be interesting,
it's gonna be see see what happens. I think, you
know on the day. Obviously, courses are different, and you know,

(13:23):
we can speculate and say this is what's gonna happen
this time and the third, but you know, we're gonna
see what happens and see where everyone's at and let
the chips fall where they.

Speaker 5 (13:34):
May, you know.

Speaker 3 (13:34):
So, what's the course like at Kolby Hilly?

Speaker 6 (13:38):
We had we had the region meet there a few
years back and it's kind of a grinder. It's at
the golf course out there, So we've been preparing for that.
We've been doing hills the season, getting ready for the
region course. You know, we get out to National's Iowa.
That's a faster course now, but you know, Region it's
kind of tough, man. So we've been getting ready for

(13:59):
that for sure, and letting the kids know we're gonna
go out there. We leave tomorrow. We'll load to eleven
forty five, leave at twelve. It's four hour drive and
we'll go straight to the course, go check out the course,
walk the course, and do our premium out there and stuff,
and you know, get ready.

Speaker 3 (14:19):
Just two gentlemen that have driven through Kansas multiple times
on I seventy. It's funny to hear someone say that,
of course is hilly Western Kansas Hilly Course. It's like, yeah,
you mentioned the returning all Americans returning five and some
of the four year coaches and stuff like that. But

(14:40):
those those individuals are moving on. Do they have have
they secured locations for for your schools next year?

Speaker 6 (14:47):
Yeah, so we got to We got Elizabeth our number
one girl, and then all right, eight hundred guy, he's
our number five guy, Ishraumel. They graduate in December, so
I've been sending emails out. They've been talking to coaches
and stuff, and they'll be going on visits after the
season for sure. Are ones that graduate in May. We've

(15:07):
been a little patient, you know, maybe we're going to
drop some track times and see what we can do
there and then see what offers we can get, you know.

Speaker 3 (15:15):
So but yeah, it's funny that you have a fifth
man that's an eight hundred meter runner. That that is
something that you can tell when when an eight hundred
meter runner is running cross country that is not from
the United States. Because the international students have they have

(15:36):
range and or they don't care what distance is. They
just want the opportunity to compete, whereas you know, it's
even hard to get high school kids that run the
eight hundred to want to come out and run a
five kN a cross country yeah yeah.

Speaker 6 (15:49):
But yeah, yeah yeah, and then like, oh my god,
I got run I gotta run ten times my distance,
and you know, I was like.

Speaker 5 (15:54):
Oh my god.

Speaker 4 (15:55):
Yeah, Mark with sorry, you can go ahead with the
course on Friday. Obviously, I don't want to give away
any of your strategy. But do the guys tend to
run together as a pack? Do they tend to go
out fast or they tend to let other people do
the work for him?

Speaker 6 (16:13):
So we we we talked about this a little bit.
Well now, well, you know, letting it out a little bit.
They you know, what, what's been our success.

Speaker 5 (16:23):
A lot's been running our race, you know.

Speaker 6 (16:25):
So Jimmy Joe might not have the same race strategy
as Timmy, you know, and so.

Speaker 5 (16:32):
Making sure we run our own.

Speaker 6 (16:34):
Race and at the end of the day, you know,
do our job, you know, and so running our own
race is a big thing.

Speaker 5 (16:42):
And so yeah, you guys will see Friday.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
But I'm curious Mark. You know, as a high school
cross country coach, we talk a lot to the kids
about like one through five split and a five person
average is that is that a topic of discussion at
the college level. Is that coming up in race strategies
and stuff.

Speaker 5 (17:03):
Yeah, no, you're you're right on, man.

Speaker 6 (17:05):
Yeah, I mean you know, as you know as a coach,
it's like, you know, if we can tighten up that
gap as much as possible, you know, at the end
of the day, I want to say, yeah, or number
one one's really important, but it's like, man, that five,
Let's get that five as close as possible. And if
you look at Texas, granted we had some things happened,
but you know, we won the race, but it was

(17:25):
because of our depth and you know, we had a
forty second difference between a number one and number five.
You know, that was really awesome to see. And yeah,
so no, you're spot on with that.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
Man.

Speaker 4 (17:37):
So, Mark, you said, there's been some bumps and bruises
through this season for you as a coach so far.
Obviously we're going into the postseason, so there's still a
lot of running left. What's been the biggest, man, I'm
proud of these kids moment.

Speaker 5 (17:54):
Yeah, definitely Texas.

Speaker 6 (17:57):
I want to say that because you know, coming in
we had three meets before that and it was like
something would happen with one person or you know, this runner,
you know, he didn't finish the race because of whatever
the case may be.

Speaker 5 (18:11):
And it was like, man, we just need to put
together a race, you know.

Speaker 6 (18:14):
And I think Texas was a race obviously for the
guys side, you know, and most everyone on the guys
on girls side PRD and before anyone asked, yes.

Speaker 5 (18:25):
It was legit. It was legit that we GPSD it.

Speaker 6 (18:28):
But I mean, yeah, I mean we were excited after
that race and yeah, I mean just pure bliss happiness
and it was a great moment for sure.

Speaker 3 (18:42):
Is uh Uber Eats still in the post meet celebration?

Speaker 6 (18:47):
Yes, yeah, see you got man. You guys are on
top of it, man, Yes, for sure.

Speaker 3 (18:52):
Apple Classic Combos still in rotation.

Speaker 6 (18:57):
Yes, man, Man, Sunday what we have football going in
on place, my bets already and we're gonna have the
Uber Eats coming in, so we're on top of it. Man.

Speaker 5 (19:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (19:06):
Nice. You know, it's funny you came up not too
long ago. Mark, we had Chris Leer, he was the
author of Running with the Buffalos and he just wrote
Beyond Fast with Sean Browslan about the Newbury Park team,
and we were talking, we asked him his guilty pleasure
and his wife chimed in as we asked that, and
she said gambling. So we were trying to rack our brains.

(19:26):
We thought he was the first guest that we've had
on that had a guilty pleasure of gambling. But then
we were racking our brains and I'm like, no, I
think coach Emerson was was into some football stuff.

Speaker 4 (19:38):
Yeah, yeah, Mark, is there anything you want our audience
to know or us to know about the team or
what they've done this year prior to going into the
conference that we haven't spoke about.

Speaker 5 (19:52):
Yeah, I mean in terms of.

Speaker 6 (19:58):
You know, attitude and performance and kind of what they've
been doing. It's been a lot different than last year,
and I'm very thankful for that, and I mean their
mental preparation and it's just been a complete one eighty
in terms of, you know, getting ready for the championship meets.
And I'm really excited to see what they do because
you know, last year, I was very hands on and

(20:19):
very meticulous about, you know, wanting these Hey, this is
how it needs to be done, this is this is
how we do it, This.

Speaker 5 (20:25):
Is how we do it here, right, and this year.
I was someone telling Camo, one of my athletes yesterday
I said, kind of trust you guys.

Speaker 6 (20:33):
Now we talked about this and now I'm just like
you guys know what to do, you know, and so.

Speaker 5 (20:39):
But it'll be exciting, you know. I think we'll have
a surprise you too. But we'll we'll see what happens.

Speaker 3 (20:47):
Mark was a meepy available online to watch or anything
on Friday, I believe.

Speaker 6 (20:52):
So I got a email about it about thirty minutes
ago about putting something up. So if they do, I
believe it'll be on the kJ CCC network. And my
old coach at Allen, he does a lot of that
stuff for our conference for region meet and he does
a great job. He has the drones in the sky.
He did that last year as well, and great job

(21:16):
he does. And so but I'll send you guys a
link to if you need and.

Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, i'd like check that out. What time? What are racetimes?

Speaker 5 (21:23):
Guys are at ten o'clock and then girls ten forty five?

Speaker 3 (21:26):
Okay, awesome and not to get Yeah, we don't want
to overlook the conference in the region meet or the
cross country nationals, But will you guys be fielding a
half marathon team as well.

Speaker 5 (21:38):
No, I have marathon this year. Just cross okay, cool?

Speaker 4 (21:43):
Well, Mark, best of luck. You are the man. We
will hit you up after Nationals. We love the chat again.
Always great to see you.

Speaker 5 (21:52):
One more thing, Can I say one?

Speaker 3 (21:53):
We're saying yeah, absolutely, but we we.

Speaker 6 (21:55):
Host the region championships next year here at Butler. I'm
just saying, we've been talking about this Jayhawk Tour. You know,
perfect time, bring you guys down. We'll even get barbecue. Okay,
thank you guys out for barbecue. So is that a deal?

Speaker 3 (22:07):
That's the deal. We were we were in talks with
Dee Brown about coming up to do some stuff at
at Nationals. But I actually have my high school cross
country state qualifier on the seventh. So but we are
we are going to do some stuff for Nationals. But
the Jayhawk Tour for twenty twenty six is on a

(22:29):
count for sure.

Speaker 5 (22:30):
Come on down man.

Speaker 3 (22:31):
All right, Mark, best of luck to you, Thank you. Okay.
Matthew Scott from Colby College is joining us. The men
of ranked tenth right now and the women are twenty fifth.
Coach Scott, are you there, Yes, I am.

Speaker 7 (22:44):
Just was got in from the course actually, thankfully I
had to come and grab the paint from the store
because one of the businesses in the town actually was
donating the good trunk of the paint. So I'm still
paint in some of the areas of the course that
they're look confusing, and used about four or five hundred
po hoists to make it so that it's pretty clear
where we're going.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
Okay, word on the street is that it's a little hilly. Yeah,
tiny bit, tiny bit.

Speaker 7 (23:10):
You kind of there's some downhills or some uphills. It's
definitely not going to be the Flattes course.

Speaker 3 (23:15):
Okay, we were talking to that. You know, there's a
couple of guys that have driven through Kansas on I
seventy quite a few times to hear that there's a
hilly course in Kansas. That warms my heart.

Speaker 7 (23:26):
The first eight hundred is going to be the funny
one because it kind of barrels downhill through some curves.
I mean, you could probably easily some of those faster
guys be sub to twenty on that first eight hundred
if they're not careful.

Speaker 2 (23:41):
Okay, okay, which is crazy to say on grass.

Speaker 3 (23:44):
Yeah, no doubt, no doubt. Coach, how's the season going
for you guys.

Speaker 7 (23:48):
You know, I mean got here August twenty fourth, so
this is actually week eight, okay, and I mean men
are ranked tenth and women are ranked twenty fifth. Women
didn't field team last year, so main rank twenty fifth.
Pretty good, Botto the lady's side, and on the men's side,
I don't remember what conference or national ranking was, but

(24:11):
we're sitting tenth in the country right now.

Speaker 3 (24:13):
So okay, and Kolby's had a rich tradition of cross
country and distance running throughout the cities, and.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
It's one that we're definitely trying to be right on
that path.

Speaker 3 (24:23):
In the same nature, who should we be looking out
for on Friday?

Speaker 7 (24:28):
I'd say some big ones are going to be a
Jiffett Kiprono, Keenan Dellatree. I mean, arguably, I'd say even
from our third to our seventh guy could be pretty
tight too. I mean our third guys in the twenty
fives and just workouts the last couple of weeks he's
been jumping. But so we're four, five, six, seven, and eight.

(24:52):
So anybody's guess who those top seven are in total?
After that first three roughly, Yeah, I mean those I'd say,
Keenan and Jeffett would be the big ones, Vincent could
be another one, and Noah RaSE a bulb will be
one that he's traditionally our third guy and kind of
rounding out that top five. It's kind of hard to say,

(25:13):
but I mean, you got Andrew Andrew Berger, you have
Dakodako Truck, you have alexandri the Tree, you have Thomas Callis.
I mean, it's going to be a tight pack from
three to seven or eight even, and with the you.

Speaker 3 (25:31):
Know, as a high school coach, you know I often
talk to the young men and women about the one
through five split five man average game, Yes, any sorts
of things. Is that stuff that you cover at the
collegiate level as well?

Speaker 7 (25:45):
That is one I cover at the collegiate level and
point out that ultimately we want to try to have
that as tight as we possibly can. And I mean,
using an old d Old Adams state adage, when they
won their first D two title from going from an AI,
they were what five seconds apart?

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Yeah, So as close as you can be, the better
off you are.

Speaker 7 (26:04):
It has always been, at least when I pointed out
from year one to even year seventeen.

Speaker 3 (26:08):
Now okay, and so you said eight weeks on the job,
he pretty much hit the ground running.

Speaker 7 (26:16):
Pretty much hit the ground running, not even proverbally speaking,
quite literally speaking.

Speaker 3 (26:21):
How has it been for you in the transition?

Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yeah, you know, it hasn't been too bad.

Speaker 7 (26:26):
Just moving from Virginia to Kansas was quite a hall
but did that quite quickly and got here and we
were at a competition on the sixth of September shortly thereafter.

Speaker 3 (26:38):
So okay, how was the move?

Speaker 4 (26:42):
Move?

Speaker 2 (26:42):
Was not bad?

Speaker 7 (26:44):
Ultimately got a movie truck for some of the big ridings,
but packed my car as full as I could and
put the dog in the passenger seat, and I mean
drove over here in a couple of days.

Speaker 4 (26:55):
So thirteen, Yes, we do. Yes, you do you feel
ground Do you feel at home yet?

Speaker 7 (27:01):
I do, finally starting to. I think I'll get more
and more each day. But I think running and getting
all this stuff done for the regional kind of kept
me so busy I didn't even realize I wasn't grounded yet.

Speaker 4 (27:13):
Coach, you're the girls coach too, correct?

Speaker 2 (27:18):
Yes, sir, who.

Speaker 4 (27:19):
Do we need to keep an eye out on the
girl's side?

Speaker 8 (27:23):
And tired?

Speaker 7 (27:24):
But I'd say our front runner. She's probably in that
top four to seven range any given Ireland, so muddy
courses are a thing for her pretty regularly. So let's
say it rains, that could be really to her advantage.
She could be even hired fourth, I think, But again
that all kind of depends on what the day is like.

(27:46):
Some people are gonna do well on dryer courses. She
definitely does not have any struggle with mud.

Speaker 4 (27:52):
That's a good quality of a cross country runner.

Speaker 2 (27:56):
It definitely is.

Speaker 7 (27:57):
And I will say there's some hills that last four
hundred is gonna be a fun one too.

Speaker 2 (28:02):
You start the last four going up a.

Speaker 3 (28:03):
Hill uphill to the finish, yep, oh nice, and.

Speaker 2 (28:09):
You kind of curve in towards the finish.

Speaker 4 (28:12):
So mentioning the course, are the are the kids stoked
that it's at home?

Speaker 2 (28:19):
They are definitely stoked at home because let me see
if I can get you a picture of the course here.
Actually I just figured the see in the course will
also give a good visual.

Speaker 3 (28:29):
Is there gonna be a media coverage on site to.

Speaker 2 (28:34):
A drone stream?

Speaker 7 (28:35):
Actually that's going to be through the kJ CCC, through
Vince de Gratto's business, and that is one that we're
going to be utilizing. Yeah, watching that, Yes, sir, I
think that'll be very helpful for some of the international
students' families. They can actually watch the race regardless of
where they're at in the world, and I believe that

(28:56):
will be one that they the kids themselves enjoy too.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Well, I might just email you that. All right, I
guess I have a picture of it right here, I can.

Speaker 4 (29:06):
Oh, there you go.

Speaker 3 (29:09):
Is it multiple loops or one loop?

Speaker 2 (29:12):
Women's one and a half, men is two and a.

Speaker 3 (29:14):
Half, Okay, so they get double the fun.

Speaker 2 (29:18):
Oh, yes, the orange is the last little half.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
Okay, so we know.

Speaker 4 (29:24):
Region six Jayhawk Conference is one of the toughest conferences
in the country. What does success What does success look
like to you? On Friday?

Speaker 7 (29:34):
I'd say success on the men's side, ultimately us being
top three would be a really he's pretty solid day,
we get hired and now that's a really great day.
Women's side, I think anywhere obviously the Jayhawk Conference, Yeah,
it's one of the toughest ones in the country. Women's side,

(29:55):
I'd say right now between fifth and seventh and be
a pretty good spot just based on kind of it's
the team composition, everything at.

Speaker 4 (30:02):
The moment, all right, and only being there for eight weeks?
Is it going how you thought it would be going
before you left?

Speaker 2 (30:11):
Yeah, it's went very well. The kids had bought in.

Speaker 7 (30:14):
I would say a lot of my philosophy's very athlete centered,
kind of steal a little bit from Scott Simmons there.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
That's was that Virginia in or mount in other places.

Speaker 7 (30:25):
Actually, not to make a shameless plug there, I raced
against Fernando when I was in college.

Speaker 2 (30:30):
And he was at mine.

Speaker 1 (30:31):
No, but.

Speaker 7 (30:34):
Yeah, I mean ultimately steal some of that athletes in
a perspective, and they communicate quite a bit, and so arguably,
I mean, some coaches will keep a weekly mileage for
that group. On the women's side, we have probably anywhere
between forty and sixty, so very varied in the grand
scheme of it. All men's side, it could be between

(30:57):
fifty and eighty, even eighty five. So it's very varied
when it comes to mileage, even amongst men and women.
But we are a moderate volume school when it comes
to weekly volume.

Speaker 3 (31:12):
Are you guys dabbling in the world of double threshold?

Speaker 7 (31:16):
Not so much, largely just because I mean that's a
little tough to do when you're a little lower volume
on some of those individuals. Definitely play in some more
fast finished long runs make the long run a little
bit more of a workout. But I will say ultimately,
workout volumes are not necessarily low either.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
Men. Obviously this week's going to be a little lower
based on the region, but we were last week. Our
specific workout was ten by eight hundred with hammers on
seven to ten, and those hammers, like, let's say, if
you're a twenty four minute guy, your regular eight hundreds
or in the two twenties, so you're under two twenty
on those hammers.

Speaker 3 (32:01):
Okay, so that's course.

Speaker 7 (32:04):
Yeah, that's on the course. So your legs are and
mungs are burning a little so a little bit old school,
and some of the aspects don't double too much in
double thresholds what i'd like to, but again, it takes
time to work into and sometimes somebody might think they're
running threshold, might be running closer to race pace.

Speaker 3 (32:26):
Right, Yeah, does the kids ask for it? It seems like
with the information that everyone has access to, if the
teams aren't doing it, the kids are chomping at the
bit because they want to do it a couple yeah.

Speaker 2 (32:41):
But nothing crazy.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
I mean.

Speaker 7 (32:45):
Really, I mean, ultimately you think about it, you look
at that, you look at you look at I mean,
let's say early two thousands you had kenyons three days,
have people obsessing over that. So I think you kind
of have to trust in your process, regardless of what
your process is, and really believe in that and just

(33:09):
kind of stick to your guns, but also be open
to listening to that kid, maybe that double threshold can
be snuck in in minutes instead of four hundred done
a track or on a course, even it could be
snuck in that way. I mean, that's one at least
I approach. I've taken two where I've had some that

(33:30):
pushed for that and utilize that because they're weakly volume
kind I at least allowed for some of that.

Speaker 4 (33:39):
Coach You've mentioned Adam State, you mentioned Scott Simmons. I
can see Rich's ears parking up because his inner running
geek is coming and coming.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
I ran in the same region as Adam State.

Speaker 3 (33:51):
In a Rocky Mountain Athletic conference.

Speaker 2 (33:54):
No northern sun.

Speaker 7 (33:55):
But when before they split the region, when they were
in the central region, there was just a central region. Yeah, yeah,
I ran at Northern State and then I mean, so
some of those it's been just cross the paths in life,
and that's kind of how I've been influenced on some
of those perspectives.

Speaker 2 (34:15):
And a little less than strictly double threshold and throwing
in some hard repizza on the grass, a little bit
of v Hill, a little bit of Simmons.

Speaker 3 (34:25):
I gotta blasphem the past Scott Simmons story. So in
nineteen ninety four, I went down to Mobile, Alabama on
a recruiting trip to the University of Mobile and spent
a few days with Scott Simmons and the team, and
I was sold. I was all ready to go go
down to the University of Mobile and go run with

(34:47):
those guys and go run for coach Simmons. And I
made the mistake of bringing home the local Mobile son
or whatever. The newspaper was not even looking at it,
just like, Hey, let me bring this home so my
folks can see what more Mobile Alabama is all about.
And I gave the paper to my parents and on
the front page of the paper was this big thing

(35:07):
about how pollen was so bad in Mobile, Alabama. And
I had a lot of allergies as a kid growing up,
and one of them was pollen and so unfortunately mom
and dad talked me out of going to the University
of Mobile and fear that it might have an impact
on my allergies and my asthmas. So I didn't get
the opportunity to run for Coach Simmons, but I was

(35:30):
very close.

Speaker 2 (35:33):
I mean, he's an eligible guy. I will say that he.

Speaker 3 (35:35):
Knows this stuff.

Speaker 4 (35:37):
Coach. We know Kobe Community College is a powerhouse and
junior college athletics. We've had your ad on Kenny Hernandez.
How has it been for you at Kobe and the
environment there.

Speaker 7 (35:52):
Very good, I mean ultimately, I mean if we kind
of need somebody gets addressed, and Kenny's very smart. If
he was actually one of the people helping set up
the course of the day, he took most of the
morning and then they have volleyball this afternoon, so they
kind of had to set up for that so and
then as some other coaches have helped out set up
on the course of the day too, so it's pretty supportive.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
And I know volleyball actually is.

Speaker 7 (36:15):
Coming out with some noisemakers and stuff on Friday, so
not usually environment you get out across country meet, but
getting some other teams and stuff out there then are
gonna be with some noisemakers and signs is kind of
a cool thing to see with cross country and see
that support there.

Speaker 4 (36:32):
How has it been setting up the regional meet in
your first season? Has it been overwhelming? I know you
said you've been seventeen.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
Definitely.

Speaker 4 (36:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (36:42):
I thought I didn't know if I was gonna make
this meet and time, so that was why I sent
you an email just to make sure. But yeah, in
some my elements, it's been all overwhelmed. But I think
any person kind of running hitting it running kind of
is going to feel a little overwhelmed. So ultimately, I
think in future years it'll be a little easier with
everything being a little more me actually flip feet to

(37:04):
the ground and grounded and everything will make it a
lot easier.

Speaker 4 (37:08):
So on Friday, how do you do the double roles
as far as coach and meet director.

Speaker 2 (37:15):
Trying to have as much done as humanly possible so
there's not any hiccups. I do think having the conference
like conference presidents, different things like that as well as
conference director is going to help, at least in some
of that elements and ultimately, if like let's say there
is a protest for example, that's kind of default to

(37:37):
them in that grand scheme. But I mean, I think
it should be pretty easy.

Speaker 7 (37:43):
I managed it at my last stop at Virginia Military Institute.
We would have we had an inter meet with twenty
five hundred teams or twenty five hundred athletes, fifty six
teams over two days.

Speaker 2 (37:56):
Still got to coach my athletes in their events, thankfully.

Speaker 7 (37:59):
Part of it's just making sure you have somebody that
can step in when you got to step it me
over to coach your athlete. And I believe between coach
Glover and coach Steed Lee, they'll be able to help
me in some of those areas so that I can
address at that as well. And they're the track part
of the track staff, and there you're going to see
a good chunk pretty much our entire track team out

(38:20):
there working the meat itself too.

Speaker 3 (38:23):
Now, Coach you mentioned the course being pretty challenging, pretty hilly,
two loops, is there the fans need to be in
shape to take in the race.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
They're definitely gonna want to be in.

Speaker 7 (38:38):
Not much you can do before Friday, though, Yeah, Uh,
there is some definitely big uphills. I mean, that's that's
kind of the nature across country. I mean a lot
anymore kind of fast just flat tracks. This definitely is
not that. I'd say between the one K and the

(38:59):
two K you're gonna have a pretty good uphill going
from about just before the mile marker to the two K.

Speaker 2 (39:07):
And then you go around that green and kind of
barrel down into a little gully, up another green and around.
I mean, it's it's pretty challenging in that perspective between
the two K and the three K mark with some
of the twist and turns.

Speaker 3 (39:27):
Is this a new course?

Speaker 7 (39:31):
The only real difference is kind of the map, and
that's one where we're having to render a different map.
But that's one I'll get to explain to the coaches,
meaning that we're not going through that little river bed
area this year, just because the grass was about neck
deep on me and I'm five to eleven. That was
gonna take years to get through, and that some of

(39:53):
it's that read stuff that's like thick, like a small tree,
so a little tough to do on short notice. So
we ended up kind of cutting through on the other
side of that little Gully area still ends up being
pretty similar.

Speaker 3 (40:07):
Otherwise, have you guys had a like a pre region
meet or we did not get to.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
Have a pre region meet.

Speaker 7 (40:15):
Coach service was here prior to myself, and the interest
level had been only one or two and it ended
up being falling around the same time as Fort Hayes,
so that ended up being kind of why so.

Speaker 3 (40:29):
You definitely have home course advantage.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
We do, and we worked out on it a few
times already since the fall started.

Speaker 3 (40:37):
Nice.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
Actually, I think there's only maybe one one week where
we didn't.

Speaker 4 (40:43):
Okay, So is there anything about the team that we
haven't covered before we get you out of here that
you want our audience to know?

Speaker 7 (40:52):
I mean, not that I can think of right off
the top of my head. I'd say they will be
genuinely surprised. Just on the progression in the last year.
We were sitting seventh on the men's side. Last year
didn't have a team finished on the women's.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
Side, I'd say top three, well, I thought was gonna
be a good spot for man and between fifth and
seventh on the lady side, I'd say that's gonna be
a one of the biggest surprises for a lot of people,
and I mean they do have a little home course advantage.
You're correct on that.

Speaker 7 (41:26):
Earned that really they they may be quiet individuals, but
they are not timid, if that makes.

Speaker 4 (41:34):
Sense, Absolutely kind of like us.

Speaker 9 (41:37):
Rich.

Speaker 4 (41:37):
That's right, coach Scott. Thank you so much for your
time tonight, Rich and I can't wait to watch your
meet on Friday and best lookshit of the team.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
Thank you, looking forward to it all right.

Speaker 3 (41:50):
Good luck coach, Thanks for joining us tonight. We appreciate
your time, all right. Cameron Wreath from Cowley. The D
two school men are ranked fifth and the women are
twenty third.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
It's going off, ellis how you doing tonight, coach good
happy to be here, Happy to have you here. How
is the season going for you and the team so far?

Speaker 10 (42:13):
On the men's side in particular, it's been pretty well.
Like I knew going in that we're gonna be struggling
to kind of have a fifth runner. On the women's side,
we've kind of had some little hiccups, little allis that
are kind of been just kind of all year pretty much,
it seems like. But I kind of knew that there
was a potential of that too, just because we had

(42:35):
you know, quite a substantial amount of eight hundred meter runners,
but they are very talented and they've been coming along
and this will be the first meet all season that
we have all of our women running, so exciting.

Speaker 4 (42:48):
So question I have for you in the Jayhall Conference,
a lot of Division one teams. You guys are division two.
How does that work? Do you guys just run the
race and people qualify for Division two?

Speaker 10 (43:00):
Pretty like?

Speaker 1 (43:00):
Pretty much?

Speaker 10 (43:01):
Yeah, we're Division two and Allen's also Division two. I mean,
I think it just works out best for like the
regions this part of the country, Like historically Cali was
Division one at one point, but it you know, the
in parts of our athletic programs are still division one.
Our track team's division one. But it kind of comes

(43:24):
down to a choice based on the way you're funded
and you know, athletic departments or whatever. So I think
that's the reason why they keep it together, is just
because they want to keep the Kansas regions you know,
you know together, you know, and in historically we've we've
been able to compete even though we're Division two.

Speaker 4 (43:44):
Do you feel like that's an advantage going into Division
two nationals?

Speaker 10 (43:48):
Absolutely, no doubt. This region meet. You know, we've won
three national titles in the last five years and Division
two level and this this region meets an awesome setup
for that national meet. So the competition is just awesome.
And I mean last couple of years it's even gotten better.
So I'm mix. It makes me want to raise my game.

(44:08):
We raised the programs game a little bit.

Speaker 3 (44:12):
We've got some hardware back there behind you. That's a
nice looking background you got. Thanks now with that, you
guys being a D two school. But Jayhall Conference is
predominantly Division one. We've we've found it. It's probably the
hardest conference in the country. Would you agree with that?

Speaker 10 (44:33):
I would say yes, just for like top to bottom,
no doubt. You can look at the rankings usually even
on the track side of things, there's usually three or four,
uh top five or even top ten teams every year.

Speaker 3 (44:47):
What is it about Kansas and the Jayhall Conference that
allows that to be the case?

Speaker 10 (44:53):
I think overall, like just across the board as far
as athletics go, they just put a high priority on athletics.
They fund the programs really well, and you know it's
just like rising tides list everything. So like even I like,
I don't want to say lower in schools in the
in the conference, there's still really solid across when you're

(45:14):
comparing to national schools.

Speaker 3 (45:16):
Okay, yeah, because Jimy and I are We're from New
Jersey and we were both junior college All Americans myself
and cross country and Jimmy and wrestling. But we were
both at Division three schools. And there's such a stigma
in and around New Jersey about high school kids going
to the junior college community college level. But it seems
like that is not the case with in Kansas and

(45:38):
and Iowa. It's like almost like a different experience altogether.

Speaker 10 (45:43):
Absolutely, no doubt. And I mean there's just I think
there's fifteen or sixteen junior college because in Kansas and
I was just getting better and better every year too,
no doubt. And you know, sometimes I'll be this, I'll
be honest about it. Sometimes getting the Kansas kids to
come JUCO is the hardest sell. But those are the
ones that we look at first as far as like recruiting.

Speaker 3 (46:07):
And geographically speaking, where are you guys located In Kansas.

Speaker 10 (46:10):
We are four miles north of Oklahoma, and then we
are about forty five minutes to the southeast of Wichita, Okay,
so we're about uh, like, we're seventy five miles north
of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Okay, So where Oklahoma State's at?

Speaker 3 (46:27):
Yeah? Yeah, I used to live in Oklahoma and I
spend the summers in Colorado, so I've driven through that
area on thirty five many times.

Speaker 6 (46:36):
Ah.

Speaker 10 (46:36):
Nice, cool?

Speaker 11 (46:37):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (46:38):
Could you have any Oklahoma kids on the team or
is it all Kansas?

Speaker 10 (46:41):
We like, I recruit everywhere. Let me think, right off
the top of my head, I know on the track
side we do, it's mainly Kansas, and then we have
quite a bit of internationals too.

Speaker 4 (46:53):
Okay, Now, how does that work with the internationals? Because
I know you said your division two, but division one
and track you're still able to offer scholarships for cross
country to those international athletes.

Speaker 10 (47:06):
Yep, yep, it's just so what the difference between division
one division two is the funding? So the level of
funding that we could provide for the athlete. So my internet, like,
I have to be pretty selective with my internationals, Like
they got to be able to afford a certain portion
of the of of their schooling.

Speaker 4 (47:26):
And how have you found that with the international athletes?
If you had any issues or they come in and
they perform pre and do their Some.

Speaker 10 (47:34):
Of my best athletes have been internationals. So but at
the same time, like we develop Americans, we develop local
kids at the same time. Like you know, over the years,
we usually have two or three gunners that are internationals
and then we we we bring up, you know, their
second year American kid that that just needed more time

(47:54):
to develop. And that's kind of the system that we
try to do.

Speaker 4 (48:00):
Now as far as the team this year, who do
we need to keep an eye out on going into
the conference meet and going into Nationals on both sides.

Speaker 10 (48:08):
Speaking of Esteban Buso's he's ran twenty four to fifteen,
and I mean he's from France, but I mean he's
gonna be a front runner to win the D two
portion at Nationals. But he's right off the bat like
that first group of guys, like you know, and he's
getting just better and better every single week. Like he's

(48:29):
literally I mean, I don't want because I've had some
really good athletes here in the past, but like during
the track season, some of our school record's gonna be
in jeopardy if we keep him healthy and just keep
them progressing. You know, I have no doubt he could.
You know, I used to work at Kolbe before I
got here, so I know what the course is like.
It's not a.

Speaker 3 (48:47):
Super fast course. Heard it's hilly, yeah.

Speaker 10 (48:51):
But I mean you know it's it's I think with
any course, as long as you use the momentum, right,
it's it's it sets you up well, So don't I'm
not expecting super fast times, especially if we get a
little bit of rain, But I'm excited about the potential
of just a good competitive meat And that's what I'm like,

(49:13):
That's what I appreciate my kids about anything. If you
gotta can't, you can't be falling in love with times
as much as putting yourself in a position to compete
using working with your teammates well and and just you know,
go be a fighter.

Speaker 3 (49:27):
A coach, we often I'm a high school coach, and
so one of the things I emphasized with with the
teams is the one through five split, five man average,
five person average. Is that something that comes up in
conversation in terms of collegiate cross country.

Speaker 10 (49:43):
I think if you got the horses, absolutely, but at
the same time, like like sometimes it like especially if
you get a big big meat. I mean, it just depends,
Like it depends on the makeup of your team. Like
for example, I think smont could you don't want him
to be holding up for the rest of the group.
The best he can help the group is to be

(50:05):
the lowest stick you can be sure, Like whether that's
two or one or three, I don't It depends. But
at the same time, like I like little pods, you know,
like if if if my two and three are pretty similar,
I want them working together. You know, if my three
and four are similar, I want them working together.

Speaker 3 (50:22):
You know.

Speaker 10 (50:22):
I think that's that's kind of the makeup of our
team this year, is like we we have a solid
up like front Runner, and then we have a two
and three that are pretty solid that could be you know,
low twenty six is high twenty fives, and then our fifth, sixth,
and seventh they just need to be those are the
ones that I want working together and and and you know,

(50:43):
and it just eat gobbling up as many people as
that can on the backside. So, like to answer your question,
it just depends on the makeup.

Speaker 3 (50:51):
And knowing knowing the course and knowing how hot it
might go out. Are you game planning that a little
bit to go people up and maybe not necessarily run
from from behind, but you know, anticipating that there might
be some people that might blow up.

Speaker 10 (51:09):
It depends how you're right. There's a slight downhill on
the on the start, but it just depends on how
it like, because you can you could tell somebody that
it's going to do be like that, But until you know,
I think the best thing you can do is teach
your kids how to I always compare it to like

(51:30):
a band, like a musician, so you know when a
good band kind of works with and they play off
one another. Same thing whenever you're racing. When you're out there,
you got to be able to make decisions based on
how the race goes out or or how the course
is feeling. And I think that teaching them that type
of mentality. And I know it's hard. I only get

(51:51):
these kids for two years, so a lot of times
they start to figure it out towards their their second year.
But having that mentality, I think you'll set them out
better to be a better racer overall.

Speaker 4 (52:03):
Coach, we got jam coach who we know conference is
a big deal, but you got another meet coming up
after conference. Which is the biggest deal of the season.
What is the mindset going in knowing it's such a
challenging course. Do you do you want the guys to
think give it all out effort or is it something hey,
let's leave a little bit in the tank for nationals.

Speaker 10 (52:26):
I think like part of training is racing, no doubt.
But at the same time, like that, you're we alluded
to this at the beginning. There's like, we want to
go and compete, like we want like, we're not gonna
go We're not gonna drive six hours to go to
a little tempo kind of a deal like it. There's
a little bit of uh. I mean, honestly, one of

(52:48):
the coolest things about the conference is all the coaches
are pretty friendly, but there's an underlying, uh, competitive bone,
you know. And but at the same time you're like,
you know, I mean, we're deeps, but at the same time,
we want to go topple the giants.

Speaker 1 (53:02):
If we can.

Speaker 4 (53:05):
You mentioned it being friendly. It seems a little bit
different on the cross country side of things, and it
does the football side of things, rich, doesn't it?

Speaker 3 (53:13):
Yeah, a little bit.

Speaker 10 (53:15):
You're right, You're not wrong about that.

Speaker 3 (53:18):
Coach Y, you know, As I mentioned, I lived in Oklahoma.
It's relatively flat where I was in Oklahoma City out
near Tolsa, you could definitely get some hills. Are you
able to get some hills in to replicate what you're
going to experience on Friday.

Speaker 10 (53:33):
One of the best things like the it's a it's
like we're in arc City, Kansas, one of the best
areas to train other than we're the only thing we're
missing is the altitude. That's it like it does get
a little warm, uh, it does get a little humid.
But the areas around our series is amazing. Like it

(53:53):
it like we run down in Oklahoma a lot, like
there's there's and I find something new every year. It's
crazy the amount of areas to train, and it's hilly.
We're right next to the Arkansas River, so it is
and then with that there's like ups and downs, you
know that, which is everywhere and it's incredible. So that's

(54:16):
part of our training. And I'm a big believer that
he'll make hills pay the bills. I go about it
a different way, but it's nothing like I don't think
any but any coach nowadays is coming up with something new.
But we we utilize.

Speaker 1 (54:30):
Them pretty good.

Speaker 10 (54:31):
We're gonna be strong, and that's part of what what
our training philosophy is here.

Speaker 3 (54:37):
Coach. I think it just gave me my new cross
country T shirt. Hills pay the bills, Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Being so close to Oklahoma, were you able to get
down Stilly for get on their course for the jamboree?

Speaker 10 (54:50):
So the only I want to and I'm a big believer,
and this is kind of how it is even as
an athlete. All of our coach has kind of ingrained
it in us, is like we want to get on
tough courses because then easy courses feel easy. And I
think there's a like it's like a band aid almost
when you can't be scared of tough things. You can't

(55:12):
be scared of it, like you and it's good to
do hard things from time to time. I say that,
but I also believe that, especially since I got like
eight hundred meter girls that are coming up to five k,
going up to the six k is kind of a
you know, just not it's not conducive for their learning, not,

(55:33):
you know what I mean. So I think that's the
biggest thing, the biggest reason why we don't go there.
Trust me. I'd love to go to a meet seventy
five on that course seventy five minutes away, but since
they don't run a five k, that's why we don't.

Speaker 3 (55:46):
I'm curious what's the secret recipe to getting eight hundred
meters runners to run cross country, because I feel like
a lot of the eight hundred meter runners that I've
ever encountered are like, oh, I'm gonna play soccer, I'm
gonna do this in the fall.

Speaker 10 (56:00):
Well, like it's I don't. To be honest, I don't know,
because it is a battle sometimes and you have to
get kind of creative with how you train them, and sometimes,
you know, like I said, we had some hiccups, we
had some banged up allis all the whole nine yards.
I've got some girls that are opening this weekend, but

(56:21):
they're there's a reason why they're opening, like because I
think that they are they're fit enough to do it,
and our ladies are right number twenty three. I don't
know how, but we're a top five, top six team
on the women's side. Potentially. Maybe I'm uh, maybe I'm
very very optimistic, but I believe in what I'm seeing

(56:41):
and the talent's there. And we just got to put
it together.

Speaker 3 (56:46):
And not looking past the region meeting the Jayhall Conference Championships.
But in two weeks, will you guys just be focusing
on the cross country race or we'll be filled in
some runners in the half marathon as well.

Speaker 10 (56:59):
I have like this. This is my tenth year in
Juke and I just never done it yet. And that
doesn't mean I'm not open to it, but I just
think it's just not conducive to where what we're doing.
I'm trying to get them up to running thirteen miles
for the long run. You know, I only got one
girl that's done like twelve. On the guys side, I

(57:19):
got Maybe I could feel a guys team on this one, but.

Speaker 2 (57:22):
I'd rather.

Speaker 10 (57:25):
I'd rather get a jump start, get him rested up,
and get a jump start to track. But I do
love the fact that we do that. I think it's
a It's a really cool thing.

Speaker 3 (57:35):
Yeah, definitely, I like to Back in the day, NAI
used to run a marathon in the spring at the
Outdoor Championships as well. They did away with that. But again,
not looking past this Friday and everything, but we had
Jim Robinson on not too long ago what's it going
to take to take down the stars at Lansing Community College.

Speaker 10 (57:55):
That guy's a good coach man, Like, he's a really
good coach. Uh you know, I I it's it's you know,
the like it's a yearly battle with those guys, and
he's he's just phenomenal, Like he gets a lot out
of his kids, and you know, uh, it's it's fun.
And you know, I mean that's not not only looking

(58:16):
at him, but there's there's some really really good coaches
all across the board that you know, I noticed these
things and I notice what they're doing, and it pushes
and motivates me. But I think they're gonna be pretty
tough to beat on the men's side, no doubt, But
I feel I've faith in my guys. I think we
got something coming. We're ranked fifth right now, but I

(58:39):
think there is definite potential to get on the podium,
no doubt. On on our our men's side. It'll take,
it'll take something nice. But I know the course at
UH Fort Dodge we've been prepping for that. I know
a lot of the schools that are ranked ahead of
us have been just chasing really really fast courses and hey,

(58:59):
I be two, no doubt, but yeah, we'll find out
whenever we get on the same course together.

Speaker 4 (59:07):
Okay, Coach, is there anything about the team or the
program that we haven't talked about that you want our
audience to know?

Speaker 10 (59:15):
Hey, if anybody wants to check us out, We've got
fantastic marketing guy that does a lot of great stuff
for us on our Instagram. Our Instagram's at Colie c
O w l e y XCTF. My instagram is at
Comino cam. I used to have an El Camino love
El Cominos nice. Yeah, capitalizing on that way back in

(59:36):
the day when it first came out. And not only that,
it was just a good group. I'm excited to watch
them grow. We're young for the most part. On the
women's side. We only returned once sophomore, so that's part
of the hiccups. You know. Juco's like you can rotate
on average sixty to seventy percent of your team every year.
But you know, I'm excited to just to keep watching

(59:59):
them grow and develop.

Speaker 4 (01:00:01):
Coach, you mentioned some of the geography. Are you sitting
on a hidden gem in Kansas and no one knows about.

Speaker 10 (01:00:08):
People think Kansas is flat and the arc city is
like the areas around our city are not flat. Uh,
it's incredible. Like uh, I remember I came on a
visit here. I wasn't looking on moving. I came on
a visit and the previous coach, a great, fantastic human being,
Mark Phillips, well legend, he's a JUCO Hall of Famer.

(01:00:28):
But he took me on a drive on one of
these roads and we call it Quaker Passed. He was
called it Little Kenya and I was like, oh my gosh,
we can win championships here. And that's like on this road.
I'm like, yep, that's like, you know, like your Magnolia road.
It's not nearly as long as probably and we don't
have and we don't have altitude, but it's like, man,
we could do some stuff on this and you know,

(01:00:51):
it's we've been. It's been pretty good so for us
so far.

Speaker 4 (01:00:55):
So well, Coach Reith, you got me pumped, you got
me stoked. I can't wait to watch the guys and
gals on Friday, and best of luck to you for
the rest of the season.

Speaker 10 (01:01:06):
Hey, I appreciate you guys for giving us this platform.
I can't like it's it's kind of cool, it's kind
of I'm not it's just one of those things that
you don't expect for the jucal level, but like there's
this is a it's a good meet. So appreciate you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:01:21):
Yeah, we're excited. And as I mentioned, Jimmy and I
are both the junior college guys, so we are holds
a special place in our heart and we know what
it can do for student athletes. So any opportunity we
can do to share on our platform all the great
schools and great coaches that are out there, we're happy
to do it. So we do appreciate your time. We
do appreciate you joining us. We'll have to get you
back on here for a long format we can really

(01:01:43):
dig in a little bit more about the school and
the program and learn a little bit about more about you.

Speaker 10 (01:01:47):
Absolutely. Well, thanks guys, we'll see.

Speaker 3 (01:01:49):
It good to you on Friday. Luck.

Speaker 10 (01:01:52):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:01:52):
All right, we got Jeremy Windsor joining us, Ladies and
gentlemen from a Highland Community College.

Speaker 4 (01:01:59):
Coach wins how are we doing, sir? I'm well, how
you doing doing great? Thank you for joining us tonight. Yeah,
no problem, man, So coach how's the season going so far?

Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
You know, it's it's going. You know, it's going. You know,
I got here, I got I got bought on pretty late,
you know, because I was I was coaching at the
INC Double A level and was trying to wrap up
the season and conference and pluming their rounds and got here,

(01:02:32):
you know, and just you know, whatever was here, that's
what we ran with. So it's been fun.

Speaker 4 (01:02:38):
Do you do you feel like you're you know, you
said you just got there. Do you feel like you're home.
Do you feel like you're grounded or do you feel
like you're still building and you got a lot to do?

Speaker 1 (01:02:47):
Oh? Yeah, I mean definitely.

Speaker 11 (01:02:49):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:02:49):
It's it's work, work, work, man, you know. So it
takes it takes some time to to uprok, uproot things
that weren't weren't great and install new things, and then
you know, you got to water it. So that's what
I wake up every day and I water it, man,
and just uh, you know, with watching it grow.

Speaker 4 (01:03:08):
What has been the biggest challenges and what has been
the biggest success so far?

Speaker 9 (01:03:14):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:03:15):
You know, one of the one of the biggest challenges
has been you know, just uh, you know, of course,
you know, learning the community, learning different places to train
for different things that we're wanting to do, you know,
and not really having coming in knowing those things and
kind of picking some things up on the fly and uh,

(01:03:36):
you know, so that that's that's that's been a challenge,
you know. And then secondly, you know, it's been great
just seeing you know, the kids you know, kind of
come through five K like especially like my god, you
know at one point, you know, their their pr and workouts,
you know, you know, uh, you know before we even
kind of kind of really dig off anything. So so

(01:03:58):
that's been nice. You know, it's nice seeing kids, uh,
you know do a sport that truly gives you a
return on what you put into it. So that's that's
always exciting. I love I love seeing that stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:04:13):
Could you get a could showing at the Billy Mills
me correct, Yeah, you know, uh.

Speaker 1 (01:04:19):
You know, the kids got out, they they they got
they ran well, it was it was fun for them.
They enjoyed it and we had some breakthroughs. Not everything
that we wanted, but uh, it was it was a
good showing.

Speaker 3 (01:04:32):
Does that change their confidence a little bit?

Speaker 1 (01:04:35):
Oh definitely, you know, definitely, definitely change change their confidence
a little bit, especially because the part of the season
that we were in, we we were still coming out
of a pretty heavy block. So they were like, man,
you know, I don't feel great in the legs, but
you know, we were able to move a little bit
and respiratory wise, you know, they're now starting to feel

(01:04:57):
a little bit better aerobically, and so yeah, they were
definitely excited. You know, they were you know, had a great,
great band ride home starting to and at this time
of the season, everybody's kind of starting to get comfortable
with each other and so the conversations are better, the laughter,
you know, and things like that. So it's pretty pretty fun.

Speaker 3 (01:05:19):
Coach, who do we have to look out for this Friday?

Speaker 1 (01:05:24):
Oh, you know, you know, I got a little freshman,
you know, named David Welcher. You know, by no means
he's going to be a guy to come out there
and blow anybody away, run twenty three minutes or anything
like that, you know, but I'm really looking forward to
kind of seeing seeing what he can do. I've held
him back for probably the eighty percent of the season

(01:05:46):
just because that's that's kind of our training model for
this year with this group. Of guys. We're taking more
of a full year approach and this is just one
big base in theory. But I'm really looking for all
to him. And then you know, I got a young
lady that nobody's kind of seen in a few weeks.

Speaker 2 (01:06:05):
Uh.

Speaker 12 (01:06:06):
You know, she's training really well, but she uh, she's
had she's had a situation with with attending, and I've
kind of had to make some decisions that she doesn't like,
just because you know, we got some offers on the.

Speaker 1 (01:06:21):
Table for some Division I schools and things like that,
and and like for her where we got our eyes
on trying to win the steeple at National's outdoors. Uh.
And you know you don't win that in in October,
you know, so it yeah, yeah, you know so I
think right now she was she was one of the

(01:06:42):
top ranked girls in our regent after and that was
with basework from way back in you know, September one.
But uh, you know, I've had to have some tough conversations,
like I held her out. She was at the meet,
but uh, I held her out. And we're gonna warm

(01:07:03):
up on Friday, and her body is gonna tell me
the truth. Uh, And uh, you know, like I told her.
She's she's hated me for it, but she knows the
type of coach I am. You know, I don't. I
don't risk kids careers and so uh, but she she's
definitely would be somebody for sure to watch out for

(01:07:23):
if I decided to let her lace up. Otherwise, you know,
I'll make another decision on her in Nationals.

Speaker 4 (01:07:32):
Coach. Coming in so late, and having to work with
the kids that you have, have they accepted you have?
Have you been able to build relationships with them?

Speaker 6 (01:07:44):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:07:44):
You know, I mean it's been, it's been. It's been
really good. You know. That was probably one of the
nice parts. The kids were very eager, you know, we're
very eager and and fortunate enough for me. A lot
of a lot of on my guy's side, a lot
of the guys were familiar with some of the work
I've done previously, you know, so like I have an

(01:08:05):
athlete that I coached, he's he's Lush's number two runner
right now. And two of my guys they were like, man,
we went on a run with this guy. I was like, yeah,
that was I coached him in high school. Uh, and uh,
you know, and then some of my other guys that
I have all familiar with, some of my kids I
coached in my Division I school last year, you know,
and they you know, they kind of cause they're they're

(01:08:27):
from another country, so they kind of they kind of
you know how it is, they all somehow know each other,
you know. So it wasn't really hard to get the
buy in. You know, the the kids that are having success,
uh kind of kind of just makes him want to
just shut up and listen and uh and and we

(01:08:47):
get to get after it a little.

Speaker 4 (01:08:48):
Bit in a year that that to rebuild. How do
you focus on now and making the most out of
it now and post to trying to get all of
her crew can get everything set up for the years
coming down the road.

Speaker 1 (01:09:03):
Yeah, you know, I I focus really really big on
you know, so instead of saying, hey, you know, we
have eleven and a half weeks for the cross country season,
I say, hey, man, you know we got we got
eight months. You know, we got we got eight months.
And you know, so on days where things are are hard,

(01:09:25):
or things are a little bit heavy, or the kids
are a little bad disposition, and it's funny because now
they do it, you know, they'll tap a kid on
the shoulder. Hey man, you know it's October. Remember remember
when it gets important, you know, And so I have
them all with their eyes downhill, you know. So you know,
a bump in the road here there in October, you know,

(01:09:46):
no one's really freaking out about it. And everybody's like,
oh man, yeah, like this is going to be you know,
we got we have time, and so uh it's really
more so protecting their mind and then doing so it
protects my peace because I'm like, hey, you know, I
don't have to have it right now. I don't have
to get greedy, you know. Uh in Russia, you know.

(01:10:06):
And and we mirrored that kind of in our training.
You know, we we stayed in base for about a month,
you know, no workouts. You know, I treated our team
as if you know, I was coaching you know, b
yu and we don't have to race until you know,
you know, like later on way down the road. But instead,
for them, I was like, hey, like, we're gonna have

(01:10:27):
a month of summer. You know, It's what I told them,
We have a month of summer here together, you know.

Speaker 2 (01:10:32):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:10:33):
So we ran our first two races and hadn't done
a single interval, you know nothing. It was just pure
It's just pure running, you know. So uh, it's it's
really exciting for them because as they start to get
educated on training and what it looks like and the
progressions in the in the different phases that we go through,

(01:10:54):
they're like, oh, man, okay, you know we we we
got we got something going there. And and I love
coaching these type of kids, you know, I really do.
It's it's fun. It's a big change from what I
was dealing with, you know last year, uh to what
I have got what I'm dealing with now, you know.

(01:11:14):
But it's all it's all still part of coaching. It's
just different ends of the spectrum.

Speaker 3 (01:11:20):
Because I'm in the middle of building across country team
at the high school level down here in South Carolina,
So I know what it's like to celebrate and celebrate
little wins and get the kids to buy in and
those things. What does a win look like for Highland
on Friday?

Speaker 1 (01:11:39):
You know, for us? You know, Uh, I told them,
you know, uh, every week you know, I post uh,
I post our training you know, so uh I have
I have these little trainings that I post every Sunday, uh,
And off to the right I put notes, you know,
whether it's the theme or the purpose of what looks

(01:12:02):
like a win for the week, you know, for that
workout or for that that block that week of training.
So this week, you know what, I posted a lot
in the in the things. For For some of the kids,
it's hey, like, let's get out there and let's go
after the pace that we set out for. You know,
let's not be afraid of it. Let's let's fail forward.
And you know, let's put the chips on the table

(01:12:22):
and you know, I have as you saw, there's like
three different four different columns, so I got them broken down,
you know. Uh, you know, based upon a lot of
different parameters. For some of the kids, it's like, hey,
let's start and let's finish it.

Speaker 3 (01:12:36):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:12:36):
Uh, you know, I have a group of half dollars
in there that are going to race this weekend and
this championship season. It's a time where I actually take
to start really taking the volume off of them and
we start introducing some of our base stuff that I
want them to be a to carry with them when
they go home for a month.

Speaker 11 (01:12:53):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:12:53):
And so at this point it's like, hey, we know
we can run an ak you know, if you feel good,
let's get out there. Let's get out and go for it. Otherwise,
a stay in base is tempo and and make sure
we get across the line so we can get that
team score because they're setting the groundwork for what I'm
going to use as a baseline for the group next year.
And you know, uh and and they all understand that task.

(01:13:16):
So I think just getting that team score. I held
a kid out that was having some fatlla, that was
having some of niskids issues. So we didn't get that.
We didn't get that team score that we wanted. But
it was nice seeing my number four guy run a
heck of a lot faster and I was like, oh,
and that was no. Number three guy wasn't in there.

(01:13:38):
So so so for us, you know, it's it's leaning
into you know, their goals, you know, because typically what
I do for a group like this is they'll run
a ten k and and I'll take the a k
split and they'll be like what I said, Yep, gotta
love the growth, uh and and so, and that's kind

(01:14:01):
of what we're gonna do. You know, we're the kids
are excited, they're just ready to go have fun. You know,
I told them they all get their own room.

Speaker 13 (01:14:08):
They're like, what so so, So you know, it's it's
really you know, I've been asked a question, lin, you know,
how I go into developing people and how I've moved
people from A to B and some some big some
big moves.

Speaker 1 (01:14:23):
Just protecting mind and and that's exactly what I've been
doing this week.

Speaker 3 (01:14:28):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:14:28):
It's just it's just protecting their minds and uh, not
letting them think too big and of course never letting
them think be down in the dumps, you know. Uh,
you know, it's keeping it nice and steady all the
way through. And so you know, and I think that
that range true from the lowest level, you know, to

(01:14:51):
the to the highest level of an elite athlete. So uh,
that's the approach that we take. And for us for
them to cross the line, be happy, like they've already
been talking about the poses that they're going to make
when they cross the line, and I'm like, hey, I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:15:05):
With it, nice coach. Geographically speaking, where is Highland in Kansas?

Speaker 1 (01:15:11):
Highland is about an hour about an hour and twenty
two minutes outside of Kansas City, Missouri. Like the KC
metro so we're out here in the farmland. You know,
you know, there's a there's a there's a nice view

(01:15:31):
of all the crops that have that are currently being harvested,
you know, these these last few weeks. And uh, you know,
we're about thirty eight minutes from Saint Joseph, which is
like where the Chiefs training facility is where they go
for preseason in Missouri. And uh, we're about three hours

(01:15:54):
from Wichita.

Speaker 3 (01:15:55):
Okay, So word on the streets is that the course
in Kolby is relatively hilly. Have you been able to
replicate some hills and some challenges that you're going to
see on Friday.

Speaker 1 (01:16:09):
I mean we've actually, over the last the last ten days,
we've actually taken a break from heels. I've actually been
putting them, loading them up in the van and driving
them thirty five minutes to run to do their tempo
and all that stuff flat because we have nothing but hills, left,
right center. It doesn't matter where you go, you know,

(01:16:31):
so they're overly acclimated.

Speaker 4 (01:16:34):
Nice, Rich, We are learning a lot about Kansas tonight.

Speaker 3 (01:16:38):
I mean it might need to go on the list.

Speaker 4 (01:16:39):
Jim, Yeah, we might need to check it out, because
like Rich said, to some of the other coaches we
spoke to, We've driven I seventy a bunch through Kansas
and it looked pretty flat to us. So definitely want
to see the Hills coach you mentioned coming from a
Division one program, and we all know it's a little
bit different in the Jayhill com for ins in Kansas,

(01:17:01):
but us being from New Jersey junior college guys, there
is a stigma of junior college athletics. Do you feel
you're recruiting as a Division one level you're able to
kind of break that stigma bringing new recruits into the
junior college level.

Speaker 1 (01:17:18):
Yeah, you know, I think you know, my my route
is kind of like the opposite of a lot of coaches.
You know, a lot of coaches have goals and aspirations
of getting out of juco and moving up to the
NCAA level, you know, versus for me. You know, this
is your seventeen for me of coaching in general, this

(01:17:39):
is about year thirteen or so as a collegiate coach
thirteen or fourteen. You know, I've coached Division one for
I don't know, eight or nine of those, you know,
and so being able to talk to prospective student athletes
about the pathway for me is super helpful, you know.

(01:18:01):
And also, you know, have having coached high school and
have some kids that were were not very good kids
because I couldn't even qualify for their own state meets.
And now they've moved on to p fours and things
like that, you know, to kind of polish all up
to showcase the development. And then I'm also taking a
different approach and some junior college coaches. My thought process is, hey,

(01:18:23):
if you can run well enough and the school wants you,
and you're a freshman, leave, you know, and I'm offering
up my entire roster. You know, I understand, yes, that
means I have to bring in a whole new roster,
but I also understand the state of college athletics at
the NCAA level, And if you get an offer, the

(01:18:45):
offer's not there in a year. And if the offer
is there, it's it's significantly less, you know, because track
and field is only going to be one of the
sports that will be still giving our partials, you know,
just because they can give everybody, they can give out
forty five. There's only going to be a few. There's
only a few select schools that have that that budget.

(01:19:08):
You know, we saw what the SEC did. They went
they undercut it by ten you know. Uh, and you know,
so that that tells you everything you need to know
right there, you know, with the state of college athletics
and it's it's hard.

Speaker 4 (01:19:23):
Coach. Is there anything about the program or Highland that
we haven't covered that you want our audience to know?

Speaker 1 (01:19:30):
Yeah, you know, I think Highland. I think our college
has the absolute best facilities in the Jayhawk Conference for sure,
and one of the best in the country, I believe,
you know. So I'm just now walking outside of my
office just so you can kind of get an idea,
you know. But one thing that we have, especially because

(01:19:51):
it gets cold, is as you see behind me as
a six lane indoor track. You know, we can throw
in here. We can do everything we need to do
in here. You know. We have a we have a
we have a weight room area right there off behind
nice that. Yeah, if if you want to if you

(01:20:14):
want to get away from distractions and you want to
focus and master your craft so you can try to
move on to a higher and better level, there's no
other place to do it than out here in the
middle of the farm land. That in a in a
place facility wise that has everything that you need, you know,
and right out that back door as an outdoor track, uh,
you know, and right out the front door or or

(01:20:37):
or our apartments.

Speaker 3 (01:20:39):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:20:39):
You know. So, but I think it's a it's a
it's a guarded secret.

Speaker 11 (01:20:44):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:20:44):
And that's something that I'm trying to change, you know,
I'm trying to get people to campus so they know, hey,
people walk in the door, they're like, oh, you have this,
Yes we do, Yes we do. And we're the only
school in the Jayhawk Conference that doesn't have to be
outside running in the stuff. You know, if it's too hot,

(01:21:04):
we're inside. If it's too cold, we're inside. If it's raining,
we're inside. Anything outside, if it's bad air quality, we
can be inside. You know, it's it's super nice, it's awesome.
You know, it's something that I'm definitely taking a big
h taking advantage of. You know, we're gonna spend a
lot of time in Lane six this winter. You know,

(01:21:27):
I've already kind of marked it both ways, both directions,
so we can we can flip. But you know, I
just think, you know, great things can happen here. Obviously,
you know, we don't have all of the funding that
some of the junior colleges have, but the kids that
come here definitely will be well equipped.

Speaker 8 (01:21:51):
Well.

Speaker 4 (01:21:51):
Coach, it was a great conversation. Thank you so much
for your time. Thank you for showing us the facilities,
and best of luck with the rest of the season
and to infinity and beyond.

Speaker 1 (01:22:01):
Thank you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:22:02):
Take I have a get a night, coach, Good luck Friday.
Thank you all right, ladies and gentlemen. It is eight twenty.
We are checking in with Juliet Rios from Garden City.
The men are ranked ninth and the women are thirteenth.

Speaker 4 (01:22:14):
How are we doing good?

Speaker 8 (01:22:16):
How are you? Thank you for having me.

Speaker 4 (01:22:18):
Good, Thanks for joining us this evening. How is the
team looking so far this year?

Speaker 8 (01:22:24):
Oh, it's been a great year. It's it's been great. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:22:29):
Who do we need to keep an eye out on
going into the conference meeting on Friday.

Speaker 8 (01:22:35):
On the woman's side, we have Mariam May. This is
a sophomore. She's from Morocco and a rational student. She
is All American on a few events on the track side,
so I'm looking to see she's going to be an
All American for sure. So and on the in side.
We have Thaddeus. He's a transfer from Hodge. He's a sophomore.

(01:22:57):
He he had a personal best time past rays and
we've been looking at another one coming up this this Friday.

Speaker 3 (01:23:04):
So yeah, coach, where geographically is Garden City in Kansas.

Speaker 8 (01:23:15):
We are about a two hours from Oklahoma, maybe less
than an hour from Colorado. We're like in that weird
corner southwest Kansas they call it, So we're like two
hours from Colby.

Speaker 3 (01:23:28):
Yeah, Okay, have you guys been able to replicate the
hills that we've heard you guys are going to encounter
on Friday.

Speaker 8 (01:23:35):
We we have access to the golf course in town,
so that has been a good thing to use. But
we I definite had to search when I first started here.
That was the first thing that says like, if you're
gonna need a hill, we're gona to either make one
or find one somewhere. But it made it work. So
the golf cour has been a tool that we've been
using a lot.

Speaker 3 (01:23:52):
So yeah, that's an unbelievable asset as a cross country
coach to have access to a golf course. I would
give my pinky for a golf course. As a high
school cross country coach right about.

Speaker 8 (01:24:05):
Yes, definitely useful.

Speaker 4 (01:24:08):
Coach. So you said the season's been going good. Has
there been any ups and downs or has it been
straightforward so far?

Speaker 6 (01:24:17):
Uh?

Speaker 8 (01:24:17):
You know, I expect a point in the season where
things don't go as planned, but they're usually a part
of the season where we go through some pretty intense training.
We're trying to figure some things out, we're trying to
get fitter and stronger. So usually I call it one
of those weeks where we race through it. So that's
the week of a double threshold, and that's that usually
falls on the week of the Chili Pepper. So the

(01:24:40):
men's being aka who was fighting, the trainings look significantly different.
The men's side. We struggle a little bit on that race,
but I told them so on Monday, so they they
knew it and we still did. Okay, it was hard,
I would say hard, but it was what we were
going to do next. So following that meat coming up
from Fort Hayes, we definitely all pr So I was like,

(01:25:01):
you see, like we're moving forward. We're just gonna have
to either make a decision when we have a bad race,
what we're gonna do. Are we going to just determine
the rest of our season based on that race or a. We're
going to continue following the process and trusting the training
and seeing where that leads us. And they trusted and
we went to Fort Hayes and time showed our fitness
and we're ready to see what happens next. So but

(01:25:26):
the woman so far, uh, it's been a pretty smooth
and I think a lot of it has to do
with the sophomores didn't have a full team last year
and coming in this year we have ten women nine
that are competing and that has changed the chemistry of
training groups. No one's training alone. So they have done

(01:25:47):
a lot of unity as a team and has has
done well for them.

Speaker 4 (01:25:52):
So you mentioned a double threshold Rich, I'm going to
steal your sound there on this coach. How has the
how have the kids adapted to double threshold and how's
it going?

Speaker 6 (01:26:03):
So?

Speaker 8 (01:26:04):
You know, the thing I love about juco is because
I get a lot of students that don't really understand
the running sport. You know, they just they don't understand
what threshold is, don't notice the difference between tempo and
threshold and went to take it easy or not so
it wasn't something we started off doing. We I've I
communicate a lot with them, probably too much so when

(01:26:28):
in the beginning of the season, when I would explain
things like zone levels and VO two and all those things,
I was like, there's gonna be a point in the
season where we're gonna do two sessions in one and
they're going to be almost at max effort but not
quite yet. So a little bit of like, well, what
are you talking about. When we did it, they were
surprised on how good they felt. They're like, this isn't

(01:26:48):
as bad as I thought it was going to be.
So definitely a big pillar to what we've done. We
don't do it, and I think we've wanted done this
twice this season. Nothing that we touched on very much,
but we definitely see benefits from those.

Speaker 3 (01:27:04):
Do you have a ay, is there a key bread
and butter work out of Garden City?

Speaker 1 (01:27:14):
I don't do.

Speaker 8 (01:27:16):
I say this, I have never replicated a workout. I
think I'm very like, I really reflect on two weeks
prior and what we need, so I have never looked
back at training. It's really like, so, for example, if
we had to meet where we're running as a team,

(01:27:37):
we do a team session where we're partnering up and running.
We're trying to start one hundred meters ahead catch that
person sort of deal. So my training is really on
like what we need to work on. And but I
think there's been one session I have kept similarly. I
call it and I made to work on myselfs called
the plans and workout. When I write that on the paper,

(01:27:59):
the kids freak out because they kind of already know
what the concept is. They don't know the amount of
time they're running the pace for and they just have
to stop and go out of whistle. And it's a
really huge mental workout because there's nothing that I knows
you more than to know how long am I running
this threat for? So that has and they end up

(01:28:19):
running better than they expect, you know. So that workout
is one of my own that I've created myself.

Speaker 3 (01:28:28):
So coach I did a similar work out like that
my freshman year in college and track and fields were
on the track and it was a timed effort and
the coach had a whistle. We didn't know if it
was going to be a thirty second go, a ninety
second go, or a three minute ago, but we were
supposed to be running the same pace for all three
of those time domains, And yeah, the unknown and unknowable

(01:28:53):
is can be quite a challenge for the mind.

Speaker 4 (01:28:57):
Yes, yes, did you find it through that workout that
some kids were tougher than you thought and some kids
weren't as tough as you thought?

Speaker 8 (01:29:07):
Yes, yes, there is there is students that get how
do it? Like in the beginning of the session, they're like, oh,
like this is gonna suck, you know, And I'm just like,
you know, I like, just just take it as it is,
you know, just do your thing. And then the end
up like coach, I got close to my race base
on this workout and it feels so much easier than
it did the race before. It's like, because I know

(01:29:27):
you can do it. It's just a matter of just
like trusting your body and doing it. So that and
that workout was leading up to I think it was Nebraska.
I think it was our second third meet, and they
went into that meet and they didn't even care about
the watch. They were just running and competing because I
know that you can't control a lot of the things

(01:29:48):
in a race. You just have to be competitive and
understand your body and what you can do. So yeah, yeah,
that was helpful for sure.

Speaker 4 (01:29:56):
So we know the Jayhawk Conference is probably one of
the t office in Jucou. What does success look like
on Friday for the men's and women's teams?

Speaker 8 (01:30:08):
You know, this is my third season here in Garden,
starting off with only six men and four women my
first year two Now, not to discredit the seasons prior,
but I have never been so excited. I think that
the unity that this team is has is so unique. Obviously,
am I sound biased because they're my group, But I

(01:30:30):
do think that we have cooked up something really good
and everyone is excited. So I'm really I think that
we were definitely going to show more than what has
been shown already. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:30:44):
Has there been a is that just kind of like
a time thing of creating the culture and building the culture.
Has there been like a almost like a team aha
moment where they all kind of clicked and things started
to change.

Speaker 6 (01:30:57):
Yeah, so.

Speaker 8 (01:31:00):
To say too much, we haven't had smooth sailing with
other things, you know, So through those things, the connection
and growth has gotten stronger through coaches athletes I am
so I am a coach that emphasize a lot on
team culture. I think we can't get anyone without that.

(01:31:20):
So when I recruit and I get students in, I
first thing I ask is what is it that you
need in a team? What do you want on a team?
It's really not about the times that you're coming in with.
It's like what are you going to do for the team?
And I think alone everybody, if we're not having fun,
then like what are we doing? You know, like we
can run fast, we can we can win things, but
it's not about you. It's about the team. So that

(01:31:43):
environment that we have it has gone to this too
aware today. So yeah, what.

Speaker 3 (01:31:50):
Are some of the keys to having fun and cross country?
Because I'm working on that with my student athletes at
the high school level.

Speaker 8 (01:31:59):
You see that now you got me? No, I think
it's it's to remind them on what we're doing and
why we're doing it. I think there is a part
of the season where we get tired, you know, we
were mentally like it's just becomes a little bit repetitive
like and then you start seeing that energy go down
a little bit and then I bring up, you know what,

(01:32:21):
we're not going to race this week. And there was
a time in the season where we were supposed to
go to Colorado we didn't. I was like, you know
what we're doing to have Saturday off? Well, we're gonna
have a really great fun session on Friday and then
and then I think that kind of refreshed our minds
a little bit, and then they were a little bit
more axess to raise. So those those accommodations I'm really
open to doing because I do want them to still

(01:32:41):
enjoy this. So if I ever feel like a little
bit of a burnout, I'm like, Okay, you know what,
let's take a step back. Is remember what we're building
up for and it has worked so far, and we
do a lot of team bonding exercises. I like to
joke around and have fun. I'm not as cut and dry,
but I do tell them like, if this relationship will continue,

(01:33:01):
if you just show up and work hard, and we'll
have fun the remainder of the season.

Speaker 4 (01:33:04):
So you said this is your third season and this
postseason is the most you've been excited. What have been
some of the biggest hurles for you in those three years?

Speaker 8 (01:33:19):
The So, like I mentioned, I didn't have a full
men's or women's team when I first started I actually
got hired a week before moving day, so I was
I had to rebuild it in a sense I had
your experience. I was a GA prior to this position,
so I didn't have anything to sell to recruit, so

(01:33:40):
that was probably like my biggest Memphis is, like, you
know what recruiting is going to be, like one of
my top things. I need to just get straight into it.
And going from six men and four women to twelve
men and ten women has been a huge accomplishment of mine,
and also doing it for the team because I know
how important it is to have big groups to train

(01:34:00):
with too, so that that was probably like the biggest thing.
Seeing them all move in and having a team meeting
where I would have to literally remember faces and names.
It was just really fun and exciting to this day too.

Speaker 4 (01:34:13):
Do you have goals for the program going forward or
is it all here now?

Speaker 8 (01:34:19):
Yes, there's definitely want to keep the roster majority local,
and I want to keep those local kids in the
championship level. I do love my internationals, and I always
want to have internationals in the team, but I think
I think it's also important to keep that door open

(01:34:39):
for those are our locals. So my fifth guy. He's
from Hocum, which is a local town here in Garden City,
and that I just feel like that also is just
a great presentation in southwest Kansas. So that's something that
I always want to continue on. And I think more
than half of my group is either from Texas, Colorado,

(01:35:00):
or Kansas, which are local states, so that that's simpling
I always want to keep in the picture. And and
it's hard to do when most of the teams are
like ninety percent international, but I think it speaks a
lot with having that representation as well.

Speaker 3 (01:35:16):
Coach Jimmy and I are both the junior college all Americans,
and we hold the junior college experience near and dear
to our heart. We were both at Division three colleges
in New Jersey. There's quite a bit of a stigma
around students going from high school to the junior college level,
let alone athletes going that route. So what is the
key to getting local athletes come in and be a

(01:35:41):
part of that experience. I know the Jayhall Conference is
in a level all on its own, but what's the
key to keeping local talent home?

Speaker 8 (01:35:49):
So I definitely want to emphasize them about the opportunities
that we do have, you know, like the the if
I asked them, like, what is your ultimate goal by
the end of your college career? What is it that
you want to do? And when we get into that conversation,
and I'm like, you know, I would love you here,
and honestly, like I think that we can get you
somewhere even better or better opportunity at that school if

(01:36:10):
we can work together and get to this point, you know.
So I also tell them about the representation. I want
you to help represent our program and show where you're
from and then get you to that for your institution
on better money. And also the affordable part of it
plays a huge attribution. I think Garden City, Kansas is

(01:36:31):
one of the cheapest junior colleges in the Jayhawk. I think,
so that those are things that I do mention and
also it's nice to just commute, drive home and come back,
save you a little bit of money. But that the
concept of like I do, and I always tell them like,
I want to get you there, you know, just help
represent where you're from and we'll get you to where

(01:36:54):
you need to go for sure.

Speaker 4 (01:36:57):
Coach for our audience, who might there's no Garden City
from Netflix and U and watching The Last Chance You well,
what do people need to know about Garden City as
a whole.

Speaker 8 (01:37:13):
You know, last time that I was here before I
got hired, it was actually at a region meet and
all the members that I died because I went in Juco.
That was the one bit of number that I had
to say Garden City. But it's it's a It's a
really Thai community, and that's that's why I'm like, I
I'm from San Antiinao, Texit. I'm from a massive city.
So here I feel like there's a really closed connection

(01:37:34):
with the community to the college and the support system
that they show to the college sports. It's tremendous football
games and volleyball games. It's it's just really nice to
see that unity between sports as well, which is not
very common. Usually there's bias with football and other sports.
But here we're all very supportive of each other and
the coaching staff. So that that's something that I think

(01:37:56):
is very special. I coming from different institutions that I
have not seen that happens. It's very special to me.

Speaker 4 (01:38:03):
So you mentioned that unity, and we know that's a
big thing. Is there a little bit of for the
kids and for you of wanting to be the best
program out of all those great programs.

Speaker 8 (01:38:15):
Yes, i am. I'm very competitive in the classroom in
the sport, so there's I do emphasis. I'm trying to
get the best GPA on the campus. That's like one
of the things that and I think on the women's
side it was second, and the men's was the best
men's sport. The press country was on the GPA side,
So that's something that I always pushed for. But on

(01:38:36):
the sports I always tell I'm like, hey, like we're
on the men's side, we're ninth nationally. That's top ten, guys,
that's a big deal. And yeah, so we're definitely up there.
I think we are sec. I think football was seventh nationally,
so we're like the second best nationally ranked team. I
don't know there's still seventh, but yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:38:56):
So you mentioned having high GPAs and Rich had other
options besides junior college. I didn't because I was not
a student. So what is the key to having junior
college athletes that have high GPAs?

Speaker 8 (01:39:13):
The work ethic? I tell them, the personality or the
habits that you create will leak into anything that you do.
If you're waking up late and not showing up to class.
I will expect you to show up late to practice
at some point. You know, you cannot have a split
personality with those two things. It has to come into one.

(01:39:33):
You need to have those same habits in anything that
you do. So your homework needs to be done when
this needs to be done. Same thing as your session.
If I says do at nine in the morning, is
do it at night in the morning. So I hold
them accountable with that because it will benefit them after sports,
after college, Like you're expected to be on time to
work those kind of things. So those are things I
want to be better for the Division one, two or

(01:39:56):
three an a level which those expectations are still there
as well as they're adultsing. I mean there are adults,
you know, and they're young adults, and those are hobbies
that are better to just start off having now, then
later when you have when you're thrown into the wolves,
have to figure it out on your own.

Speaker 3 (01:40:11):
So yeah, it's funny how often you have to tell
kids that, like, these are lessons that are going to
carry you through life, Like sport teaches you how to
be a better human all around. You know, whether it's punctuality,
being on time, showing up a work you know you can't.
You can't miss practice. You can't miss work like you
miss work when you're an adult. Guess what, you don't

(01:40:32):
have a job, and then you've got a whole other
can of worms you've got to deal with. Coach, I'm curious.
You know, we're in championship week, maybe not necessarily completely
tapering down because we got nationals coming up, but are
there any non negotiables this week for the athletes?

Speaker 8 (01:40:50):
Yeah, this is the week where they kind of I
wouldn't say pay can choose, but I'm a lot more
lenient on things there. There was a temple we did
today and it's way farther like, it's a little bit
slower than our usual tempo. It's meant to feel like
a breeze, but it's not an easy run. And it
was one of those days I was like, you know
what if you feel like you just need my liage

(01:41:10):
today and just run to let me know, it's one
of those things where like you just do what you
need to do, you know, but there's still structure to it.
But it's also like I just I just need you
to be prepared for Friday, and yeah, they feel good
about that. They're like, oh, it works so hard, and
I finally it's the cheers that I want to do
it with sort of deals, so it's a reward. But
we are on our tape ering phase now.

Speaker 3 (01:41:33):
Yeah, and I'm not looking too far ahead because we
do have championships this weekend. But when we get to
Fort Dodge, will there be some Garden City athletes run
the half marathon as well?

Speaker 8 (01:41:47):
Yes, I did it myself as a juco athlete, and
I remember that being one of my stable moments of
my career. We did it last year. We actually went
in which is the mentality of having fun on the
woman's that I think we got six out of twenty
five teams and the men got fifth out of thirty teams,
and we weren't even in there with strategy. We're just
having fun. So this year I want to have the

(01:42:09):
same approach. But I was like, hey, if we are
wanting to do it, I think we can do something
good on it, you know. So uh, yeah, we have
we have a bigger group of kids who have gone
higher in mileage, the sophomores coming in, so I think
they're excited for it. Too. They've done it last year,
so they'll be their second.

Speaker 3 (01:42:28):
Ye're doing it awesome.

Speaker 4 (01:42:30):
Yeah, coach, thank you so much for your time tonight.
Can't wait to watch Garden City at the Jayhall Conference
at Nationals in the half marathon. So best luck to
you and the team.

Speaker 8 (01:42:42):
Thank you. I appreciate your time, guys, thank you great night.
Appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:42:47):
All right, ladies and gentlemen. Coming in with Trey Burton
from Neosho County College, Bruton. Sorry Breton, coach.

Speaker 4 (01:42:55):
How are we doing tonight? Sir?

Speaker 3 (01:42:56):
All right?

Speaker 14 (01:42:57):
How are you guys?

Speaker 4 (01:42:58):
Great? Well, one quick thing, how do you pronounce your
last name?

Speaker 11 (01:43:03):
It's Bruton b r U two and it's Bruton. It's
a lot of people say Burton, but it's Bruton.

Speaker 3 (01:43:08):
I did that just before you got on here, Coach.
I missed the R there.

Speaker 11 (01:43:12):
Okay, it happens. So it's the most that's the most common,
most common mistake.

Speaker 4 (01:43:17):
So well, coach, thank you for joining us tonight. I
I kind of have a little bit of a thorn
on my side from Niosha because at junior I was
a wrestler and my only junior college loss was for
in the quarterfinals and in for third place, and it
was to a Niosha wrestler. That's how I always know Neosha.

(01:43:41):
But I want to hold it against you coach.

Speaker 14 (01:43:43):
Okay, thanks.

Speaker 4 (01:43:45):
How has the season been going so far?

Speaker 14 (01:43:48):
Oh gosh, it's been a roller coaster.

Speaker 11 (01:43:49):
We've We've had lots of been battling, lots of sickness,
different injuries.

Speaker 14 (01:43:55):
It's not not.

Speaker 11 (01:43:56):
Like everybody hitting on the same day any of that stuff,
So it's been it's been challenging this year to put
all the pieces together. We've got a men's team anyway,
Our women's team, just like I said, been beat up
and sick, and one of our best girls is sick
and she's probably not gonna be able to run run
this week, So that's going to be a hard thing

(01:44:19):
for us on the ladies' side to recover from. But
the guy's side, we've got the ability. It's probably I've
told the guys this too, it's probably the best team
that we've ever, like ever had since I've been here
in terms of raw potential. Well, we haven't hit on
the same day, so we're hopeful that we're going to
hit on the same day this week and they're all

(01:44:39):
going to run well, we've prepared well, Our week's been good,
so we're excited and I think that hopefully we'll do well.
I think I've also told him, you know, this week,
based on the predictions for weather, you know, the course
and being in western Kansas, I told them more importantly
than worrying about their times this week, it's just getting
out there and racing and racing the other teams that

(01:44:59):
were trying to compete with and earn that top twenty five.
We're not funded super well in terms of scholarships and whatnot,
so trying to compete at the very top is not
really in our cards. But how we've been successful is
through development here and everything and trying to close that gap.
And I think we got a good chance to close

(01:45:20):
the gap on some of those teams that are in
the top twenty five right now. We were in the
top twenty five, fell back out a little bit here recently,
and we're hoping to scare some of those teams or
maybe beat some of them as well too.

Speaker 14 (01:45:33):
In our region.

Speaker 11 (01:45:34):
As you guys know, it's pretty stacked competition wise.

Speaker 4 (01:45:38):
So you mentioned that roller coaster of a season. How
do you maintain and stay positive and keep focused when
everything's going all over the place.

Speaker 11 (01:45:50):
Yeah, I think for us, in terms of training wise,
I've kind of had to learn to adapt more. Like
every year I have to adapt things, different team, different group.
Some years have gone really well in terms of progression.
Last year was in terms of it was probably the
least talented team that I had had, and we had

(01:46:11):
the best progression. They have the second fastest team time
last year, you know, and this group's got right now
has got our third fastest team time ever.

Speaker 14 (01:46:17):
But we've not all, like I said, hit on the
same day.

Speaker 11 (01:46:20):
So I think, I think just having to adapted things
and learning, Like we changed our warm up routine a
little bit, which I've done for years. In terms of
coaching wise, we changed our our warm up routine a
little bit because I just felt like the kids were
flat before the races, and it's like, we've got to
do something to get us to not be flat before
the races, you know, And so that kind of this

(01:46:41):
last week we kind of test test ran that we
we did a little meat kind of more for practice
than anything this last week, but and it went pretty
well for us. So I think, you know, just having
to adapt some things and training We've had the best
workouts we've ever had too this season. It's just hadn't
translate into the course yet. So I have learned some

(01:47:05):
things that maybe we were using a little too much
in practice and exerting ourselves too much in the week.
So we've kind of honed some things back recently and
the kids.

Speaker 14 (01:47:14):
Look a lot better.

Speaker 11 (01:47:15):
They look smoother, and we've gotten rid of some of
our injury bugs and stuff recently too, So that's been.

Speaker 14 (01:47:22):
Been one way.

Speaker 11 (01:47:23):
I think the other thing is too, is just trying
to We've tried to add in some fun things for
the kids to do recently too, to just kind of
keep the morale up and stuff and them to feel
confident in themselves, you know, as we progress here with
the rest of the season.

Speaker 3 (01:47:37):
So coach, I'm a high school cross country coach down
here in South Carolina, so I'm curious if you don't
mind sharing, what are some of those fun things, because
we're getting down towards the championships, yeah, part of the
season as well, and I can see that we're you know,
we're maybe looking a little stale, so I'm trying to
rack my brain for fun things to spice it up.

Speaker 11 (01:48:00):
So I don't know, it's kind of controversial probably, but
like today's our today's are what we call our Pavo Day,
so based off of Pavo Nerni Famous Runner. But anyway,
we do an interval kind of a short interval session
a couple of days out from the meat that's not
super taxing on the body. But then afterward, like today
we played ultimate Frisbee, which is kind of kind of groslous.

(01:48:23):
People get twists and ankle whatever if they get too
competitive or whatever.

Speaker 14 (01:48:26):
So we threw in, you know, we throw it thrown
in that we've done.

Speaker 11 (01:48:30):
We did We've done a relay before where we uh,
we have this big massive Connect four and we kind
of have done a like a team relay of the
Connect four pieces or four hundred meters this way and
you got to go get a Connect four piece and
only one person at a time can do it and
do a loop basically, and so kind of getting the

(01:48:50):
team involved in like, okay, we're gonna do kind of
this for like a maybe our.

Speaker 14 (01:48:56):
Four hundred day.

Speaker 11 (01:48:57):
In terms of sprints wise, not really sprints, but they're
you know, they're going at a faster pace kind of
interval side of things with a with a recovery in between,
and so they have these groups and we've done connect
for just I don't know, mixing some of that stuff
in has I felt like has helped here in the
last couple of years anyway, just on occasion, Like I
don't we don't do it every week by any means,

(01:49:18):
but like just to throw it in, like I said,
like today was the ultimate frisbee thing and the kids
really loved it and they seemed a lot more excited afterwards.

Speaker 14 (01:49:25):
So I'm doing some of that stuff. I think.

Speaker 11 (01:49:28):
Also we did when we went through our warm up
stuff here, we kind of had the we kind of
made a competition with the team in terms of like, okay,
who can do the best warm up kind of deal,
and we split the team into a couple groups, and
it's like we let them lead everything, Like the kids
lead everything, like a lot of times in practice stuff
before before practice and everything.

Speaker 14 (01:49:50):
We kind of the coaches we lead through the warm.

Speaker 11 (01:49:52):
Up stuff a lot of routine a lot of times
because we run, like our coaching stuff here, we run
with the team almost every day just to just to
keep in shape and keep pushing them. And if I
can do it, you can do it kind of deal.
Uh and uh so I think we've that was kind
of fun for them. It was like a little competition,
So mixing stuff in that's maybe a little competition that

(01:50:12):
they're still like they're getting everything that they need and
we kind of judged them and then the team that won,
we were like, Okay, well we'll get you guys like
a sonic drink or something like that.

Speaker 14 (01:50:21):
You know, so just kind of mix some of that
kind of stuff in.

Speaker 3 (01:50:25):
I guess do you find when you run with the
kids that are a little bit quieter than when you're
not with them? Do I now, when you run with
the team, are they a little bit less talkative than
if they were by themselves running because my kids don't
say a word when.

Speaker 5 (01:50:39):
I run with them, really.

Speaker 1 (01:50:42):
Quiet.

Speaker 11 (01:50:43):
Yeah, my kids probably talk more. I think, like I
when I run with them, they end up talking more.
I think it's interesting. I feel like a lot of
them too, in terms of like, at least obviously at
the collegiate level, I think some of them respect that
a little bit because it's like it's not just the
coach that's over here telling them, Okay, we're going to
do six repeat miles out here, you know, and.

Speaker 14 (01:51:07):
They're just like, come on, run faster. You're not running
fast enough, you know that feeling. And then they're like, well,
well you get out here and do it kind of deal,
you know.

Speaker 11 (01:51:15):
And so I'm out there doing it with them, and
They're like there's nothing they can say. It's like, oh, shoot,
coach is beating me. I can't let them beat me,
you know, like that's not that's not acceptable.

Speaker 4 (01:51:25):
So coach, you ever have some drag them out races
with the kids, like you said, they you know, they
don't want you to let them beat beat them.

Speaker 11 (01:51:35):
Oh sometimes yeah, occasioning some workouts at the end of
at the end toward the end of the workout or
whatever with some of our some of our guys say,
they'll be.

Speaker 14 (01:51:45):
Trying to push and I'm like, well, I'm not going
to let you beat me.

Speaker 11 (01:51:47):
Like, you know, I've had a couple too, Like there's
you know, we have old levels, We've got kids that
are fairly talented, and we've got I've got kids here
just because the way I recruit and everything, you know,
I'm looking for just kids that want an opportunity, want
to work hard. Uh, you know kind here would be
good teammates and develop you know. And so we've got
kids here that you know, never ran like on our team,

(01:52:07):
they would never get an opportunity anywhere else. For the
for the most part, I've got to had kids this
year that started out the year on our guys team
that had never run under twenty three minutes in a
five k, you know.

Speaker 14 (01:52:16):
And and so I've been ahead of them.

Speaker 11 (01:52:18):
But then some of these workouts they've been like, you know,
really on the last rip, they're like creeping up on me,
trying to pass me, and I'm like.

Speaker 14 (01:52:24):
Well, no, I don't want to let you beat me.

Speaker 11 (01:52:26):
So it's like I'm gonna I'm gonna kick hard here
and not let you let you kick me down.

Speaker 3 (01:52:31):
You know.

Speaker 14 (01:52:31):
So some of that stuff.

Speaker 11 (01:52:34):
But yeah, they get a little competitive I think at times,
and I think it's good for them on occasion, too,
sometimes it's probably a little too much. So sometimes I've
actually even had to like back off a little bit, like, hey,
I know, if I pushed too hard here, then these
guys are going to go too hard and then it's
not going to be good for the race on the weekend,
you know.

Speaker 14 (01:52:51):
So I've had to do that a couple of.

Speaker 11 (01:52:53):
Times too, and normally I don't tell them that, but
you know, on on occasion I've told them. Most of
the time, I don't tell him like, yeah, I could
have kicked you down, but you know, I didn't want
to overdo it here.

Speaker 4 (01:53:05):
So, coach, who do we need to keep an eye
out on at the jay Hell Conference And what does
success look like to the team this weekend?

Speaker 11 (01:53:15):
Yeah, I think, I mean it's it's uh for the
for individuals wise. I think on the men's side, I
would say obviously our top two that have been up
there the whole year, Noah Laird and Dinner Dos Santos,
both of them are should.

Speaker 14 (01:53:33):
Be able to have pretty good races.

Speaker 11 (01:53:35):
And I know Noah's still he's still chasing after the
school record in terms of team time. Obviously, different courses,
different things, like this year, we've not run courses that
have uh helped him to to look towards working towards
that goal because they've not been courses where you're going
to run fast prs most of the time.

Speaker 1 (01:53:52):
Uh.

Speaker 14 (01:53:53):
So uh, he's uh.

Speaker 11 (01:53:56):
He's still alluding to trying to get to that, So
I know he's really after that and he's wanting to
have a good race. So those two for sure, a
couple of our guys right behind them, one of our
returners from last year's Jade and Perry. He uh uh,
he's had again the roller coaster ride. He's in the
best shape he's ever been in. Is look at his
VO two Max, you look at his all of his
stuff on his stats in terms of his heart rates,

(01:54:19):
way lower this year than it was last year in
terms of some of the intensities and stuff. So he's
in better physical shape. He just hasn't had that race
yet to click. And and I'm hopeful that it will
be this week because he to be honest, he's got
the potential. He could be our number one runner too,
even though he's not even been close, you know, so
he can he can do pretty well. And if him
and Oliver one of our other kids, Oliver Cabana, if

(01:54:40):
he if those if those two click, we'll have a
pretty good day with with our other guys. So that'd
be that'd be pretty awesome on the guy's side, lady's side,
Like I said, we're I don't know, we might not
even end up with a full team potentially where you know,
had some sickness again, this week and and stuff that
are probably going to hold a couple of our lady out,

(01:55:01):
So we'll see on the ladies' side what will end
up what will end up with in the next couple
of days. But our top two girls, Bethany Barger and
Melania Turaga, she's from Fiji. Both of them have had
pretty good seasons and I think they could both break
twenty minutes in the five k, which for us would

(01:55:22):
be pretty successful. We've only had two other girls in
school history break twenty minutes in the five k, so
we're excited to see if they have an opportunity to
do that this week. We have institutional standards for Nationals
as well, so they both hit what would qualify them
for us to go to Nationals, for them to run

(01:55:44):
individually the same way with Noah and Dinner, So I.

Speaker 14 (01:55:46):
Think success for us this week.

Speaker 11 (01:55:48):
On the guy's side, there's like we're looking at we're
looking to try to compete with Cloud County and Dodge City,
like those are our those are our two teams that
are ranked, you know, just inside the top twenty five.
And there are two teams that I think we can
match up with and we can race and hopefully that's
our goal for the guys. It's like, I'm not going

(01:56:10):
to keep it a secret. That's who we want to beat,
So that's who we're going after. On the on the
ladies' side, if we run a full women's team, it
would just you know, that would be we'd be happy
with getting the full women's team out there finally, because
we've I said that part of the roller coaster ride
this season is like every one of our ladies is
run at some point this season, but we've not run
more than four on any given days. So it's just

(01:56:31):
like we've got to get five out there somehow, and
so that's that would be a win for us. And
then if we can beat anybody, then that would be
you know, next thing I think we could. I think
if we were out there and we're doing well, I
think we could compete with Colby, who's ranked twenty fifth
right now. I think we could beat Coffeeville. So those
are kind of for the ladies. If we end up

(01:56:51):
with a full team, that would be our goals to
be shooting for those two teams and competing against them.

Speaker 3 (01:56:57):
So was the challenge of the Colby course Is that
what had determined the challenge of your schedule leading into.

Speaker 11 (01:57:05):
It, I think a little bit this year obviously, so
we ran Missouri Southern and it ended up being a
little bit short this year anyway, so that helped with
the times looking earlier in the season. That's why our
guys got ranked, to be honest, is because it's ended up.
It was a little bit shorter because they cut off
a loop that they shouldn't have cut off, and so anyway,
besides the point, but it's a kind of a hilly

(01:57:26):
course and stuff, and I know Colby's not like it's
not like super hilly, but it's not like, you know,
we're going to Western Kansas elevations a little bit higher
than we're used to here in Southeast Kansas. The weather
conditions normally are not going to be great a lot
of times, and this year it looks like the wind's
not going to be too bad, temperatures are going to

(01:57:46):
be nice, but it might be rainy, which I feel
like our guys and gals are pretty prepared for that,
just because we have a lot of that here too.
So but yeah, I think that was part of the
plan for this year, was knowing that last time. So
I've the last I my first year here in terms
of coaching cross country Regionals was at Colby, and I

(01:58:12):
did not prepare the team that year for Regionals at Colby,
and we did not have a good We did not
have a good day.

Speaker 14 (01:58:18):
And I also made coaching mistake that morning.

Speaker 11 (01:58:20):
I told them because of the way the kind of
the wind was and stuff, I told him, you know, okay,
let's just kind of let's kind of hang back the
like hang back a little bit more, and like, you know,
became a little conservative early on, and we didn't get
in the race ever, and so we.

Speaker 14 (01:58:35):
Were just completely out of the race last time we
were there.

Speaker 11 (01:58:37):
So this time it's been more of like, okay, we've
prepared Nationals and Fort Dodge as well as another reason
because you know it's going to be probably cold and windy,
and they've got a couple of decent size hills on
that course as well too, so it's not like this fat, flat,
fast track courses. So we kind of tried to avoid
that this year. Obviously, it's our home course here is

(01:58:57):
super flat, but it's not exactly easy. It's got a
lot of turns and stuff that that can.

Speaker 14 (01:59:04):
Slow it down.

Speaker 11 (01:59:04):
As well as this year that where they where we
start at, they had a new new mowing crew and
they didn't really mow down the first four hundred meters
of each loop very well.

Speaker 14 (01:59:16):
So we it was a little slow here too.

Speaker 11 (01:59:18):
For our home meet this year and two years in
a row, it's been like almost ninety degrees for our
home meet and it's like first part of October and
it's almost ninety degrees.

Speaker 3 (01:59:26):
I'm like, what are we doing?

Speaker 11 (01:59:28):
So but yeah, I think that played a factor into
the schedule this year a little bit for us, and
they'll last week's meet.

Speaker 14 (01:59:34):
We ended up running a baker last week.

Speaker 11 (01:59:36):
We last week and their course sets up very similar
to regionals in terms of two and a half loop
course for the guys and a loop and a half
basically for the ladies.

Speaker 14 (01:59:45):
And so we we kind.

Speaker 11 (01:59:49):
Of added that kind of, like I said, as a
practice so to speak, but also just like, okay, we
we needed we're needing a little bit of a spark
and we need to test some things out. So we
kind of added that last minute. We weren't really planning
on that one.

Speaker 4 (02:00:02):
So, Coach, is there anything about the team or the
school that we haven't covered that you want our audience
to know.

Speaker 14 (02:00:14):
I think I think we've covered most of it. I
think that, like I said, we're we What we.

Speaker 11 (02:00:19):
Look for here that's different than most schools is we,
like I said, I want, I want good kids that
want to be here, want to work hard, h kids
that want an opportunity to get better, you know, and
and development.

Speaker 14 (02:00:30):
That's our biggest thing here.

Speaker 11 (02:00:31):
Like if you look at a lot of our previous years, uh,
the student athletes, where they came in at and where
they finished at in terms of like I've had multiple
kids that, like, say, on the guys side for eight k,
you know, they're over a mile ahead of where they
were at as a freshman and in a two year span.
You know, it's like wow, like you got so much
better in a two year span. And we take wins

(02:00:53):
from that as much as we do. Is the guys
that you know can run twenty five twenty six minutes
in an eight k you know, on the guys side,
same way with the ladies. Like if we can get
like our top girl this year, she didn't run under
twenty two minutes in high school, and she's run almost
like right at twenty twenty flat, you know, so it's
like where she's already knocked off two minutes from high
school to now. You know, so that's kind of you know,

(02:01:15):
that's how we compete.

Speaker 3 (02:01:16):
Too, is.

Speaker 11 (02:01:18):
Getting those kids that were maybe overlooked and didn't get
the opportunities at the schools that have more money, that
have you know, more facilities and access to things, and
giving them an opportunity and helping them develop. And then
what I've been pretty lucky on some of those years,
especially when we get to track season with like our
four by eights and stuff like that, getting those kids

(02:01:39):
that run two o five and an eight hundred, having
them run across country to building developing them in terms
of base and all the stuff that we do getting
them to run fast. We've put together some pretty good
four by eight teams that have qualified each year for Nationalists,
you know, And so that's just like for our program itself,
you know, a cross country and distance running is a
big passion of mind. You know, I've been doing it

(02:02:02):
for quite a few years. Kids, the kids, I guess
one fun fact that they that they're always just super
surprised about. I've been running at least a mile a
day for over seventeen years now, and.

Speaker 14 (02:02:16):
They're like holy cow. Like they're like, well, how do
you do that? Like why are you doing that?

Speaker 11 (02:02:20):
It's like, well, I just you know, I just love
the sport and love being around it and stuff. So
they're just always like, oh my goodness. And then I've
been last couple of years, they've been pestering me because
I've run some couple of ultra marathons here a local tent.
We have a local ultra marathon, and so they like
the last couple of years, they've been coming down. They
were cheering for me running them the ultra marathon, and
I'm like, you guys need to just like go take

(02:02:42):
a nap, you know, go get you got your long
run in this morning, Go take a nap and let
me run here, you know. But now they really liked
our program. The kids set together at lunch. It's not
something I had to force them into doing any of
that kind of stuff. They typically developed a pretty tight
knit group here, a typically you know family. Like our
team motto is, so to speak, at the end of

(02:03:05):
every practice we get together. I talked to him about
things that went well, things that didn't go well, different things.
You know, we just try to fix things and leave
things out there, like, Okay, this didn't go so well today,
We're going to leave it out there.

Speaker 14 (02:03:18):
We're going to move on and we're going to get better.

Speaker 11 (02:03:19):
Next time, you know, talk about those things, and we
break down at the end of practice and at the
end of meets before they race.

Speaker 14 (02:03:27):
All that stuff.

Speaker 11 (02:03:28):
And our our motto, so to speak, is we say
panthers on three and then family on six, because our
ultimate goal is to be a family here and have
that family atmosphere. So I think that's, you know, for us,
is just again getting the kids that want to be here,
work hard, develop and get a lot a lot better
and help each other. It's a lot more fun that

(02:03:49):
way when you've got good kids and and they're pushing
each other, you know, because some of them get to
some of them get to heights that they never even
knew what they.

Speaker 14 (02:03:57):
Were capable of doing.

Speaker 3 (02:03:59):
You know.

Speaker 11 (02:03:59):
It's it's amazing what what some of them can accomplish.
I had a kid, like I said, two seventeen eight
hundred runner, he ran one fifty seven for me by
the time you graduated, you know, and that was just
his dedication and work ethic to get better. And it's
just like man like, that's that's that's big wins for me.
You know, here we're never going to be able to
compete at the elite level, just it's just not in

(02:04:22):
the cards for us in terms of funding or any
of that kind of stuff.

Speaker 14 (02:04:25):
So we do the best with what we got, and they.

Speaker 11 (02:04:27):
Feel like we do more more here with a lot
less than some other programs get so imen.

Speaker 4 (02:04:35):
Well, coach, you got me fired up. I appreciate your
time tonight. Best of luck to you and the Panthers
this weekend. Hopefully we'll be putting good vibes out for you.
Hopefully you get all those girls on the line and
then go and do their job. So thank you so much, sir.

Speaker 14 (02:04:52):
Yes, thanks guys, I appreciate it. You guys have a
great rest of your night too.

Speaker 3 (02:04:56):
Friday, thank you Mike, coach on ours is joining us again.

Speaker 9 (02:05:02):
Well can you guys there mere?

Speaker 4 (02:05:05):
How you doing, sir?

Speaker 9 (02:05:06):
How you guys doing?

Speaker 1 (02:05:07):
Man? Good?

Speaker 3 (02:05:08):
Good good?

Speaker 9 (02:05:08):
Thanks awesome. I've been uh watching it for the most part,
so it's great that you guys get to highlight all
these different coaches and and programs just because you know
you might might hear from you know, the one two three,
schools from you know, rankings and all that, but genuinely
like or genuinely you know, top to bottom within this region,

(02:05:31):
you just have great coaches and great programs in general.

Speaker 3 (02:05:36):
Yeah, we heard that it's a friendly bunch, unlike the
football coaches maybe in the Jayhall Conference.

Speaker 9 (02:05:43):
Yeah, I mean, you know, we're just you know, old
distance runners.

Speaker 11 (02:05:47):
Man.

Speaker 9 (02:05:48):
There's nothing a beef about, you know what I mean now,
you know, of course, like you guys have mentioned or
I forgot who was it one of them? I think
it was Cameron. You know, it's it's very competitive though,
it's very competitive, so that that's what makes it pretty fun.

Speaker 4 (02:06:06):
So coach, the men are second right now the women
are eight. How's the season treating.

Speaker 9 (02:06:11):
You pretty good? Honestly? I think on our guys side, well,
we're in a great spot.

Speaker 4 (02:06:19):
Uh.

Speaker 9 (02:06:20):
You know, we put in a lot of work and
we've been healthy. I think that's the most important part
is we've been healthy. So now only getting in a
good amount of mileage and some good work in between,
you know, one through seven, but have been healthy there
on the girls side, A man, it's I'm almost you know,

(02:06:40):
I say it all the time. I you know, I
kind of enjoy coaching my girls a little bit more
than the guys, and very excited about this girl's group,
mainly because we really haven't put up our true five yet.
Even within our first meet, you know, we had a
decent result, but you know we we had an a
four hundred eighth grow as our number five that you

(02:07:02):
know didn't have the greatest summer. So you know our
number three, I think you know, she's from Australia, she
hasn't ran. I had a stress reaction for quite some
time in the summer, and you know she came back
and you know we put in some decent work we did,
and you know, you know, here comes I work. You know,

(02:07:22):
I'm very conservative when it comes to training and racing,
and you know I took her out to Missouri Southern
with us, and I'm just like, hey, you know, we
won't race, which obviously she was pretty bummed about. And
I'm just like, but we'll get a workout in be
in this environment, you know, something different, be abround the
team and things like that. And you know, she kind
of took a step in a pothole unfortunately, and you

(02:07:45):
know that kind of put us out for another week
and a half or two was put in a boot,
but honestly within the last you know, few few weeks
since then has put in a good amount of work.
So I'm very excited about this girl's team. Yeah, I
mean at the agent level, at national level, I know
we're ranked eighth, but yeah, I think we're I wouldn't

(02:08:06):
say a podium, but I genuinely think we can compete
with a lot of those teams up there.

Speaker 3 (02:08:14):
Coach, what's the key to getting a four hundred, eight
hundred kids to step up and take on the challenge
of running across country? Because I've got a few that
fight me to at the high school, right.

Speaker 9 (02:08:24):
And you know, to be quite honest with you, I
think at your level and my level is a little
bit different where I'm just like, hey, here's a scholarship,
I would expect you here at the line. But no, no, no,
I know some programs do that with hours. No, like
I've given her the option. I've I've genuinely given her
the option. And the reason I do that, you know,

(02:08:47):
she's on good scholarship and all those things, great athlete,
but it's one of those where if an individual doesn't
want to be around, then I you know, I don't
want them around. You know, I don't think the team
would want them around. You know, they don't want themselves around.
So you know, we've had conversation, and you know, she's
a competitor. You know, she's a great, great kid, and

(02:09:08):
and no, she she wants to be a part of
this and wants to go out there and compete. Now,
you know, all her training is is honestly all eight
hundred training. You know, it's nothing preparing for a five kse.
So because of that, we understand you know, quote unquote
expectations where you know, we're we're over here training through this,
trying to be a part of this. Yeah, we could

(02:09:29):
potentially help, but you know, our our ultimate goal is
obviously getting on the track and running really fast for
four hundred eight hundred. So yeah, I guess you just
got to get lucky, That's my answer.

Speaker 3 (02:09:42):
You got to get lucky, all right, you gotta get
rabbids foot or something.

Speaker 4 (02:09:45):
Then, yeah, right, right, coach s trume, we need to
be keeping an eye an eye out on this weekend.

Speaker 9 (02:09:56):
As far as individuals right we're speaking of, yes, sir,
on the men's side, ah man, you know our top
four run together like every rep. I won't say every
mile because some miles are on their own, but you
know every rep that we've done, and yeah, you know
they run together. Our top four, our top four like
literally and I know our top two have you know,

(02:10:18):
changed as lead runner between three meets. But yeah, I
mean our top four is loaded. But as of right now,
fair and Farren Mangleson is an individual that I would say.
It's hard to say. You know, he's a school record holder.
He was beating our one and two all indoor. You know,

(02:10:39):
he's up there, but just hasn't put the pieces together
on our cross country course. And I he's an individual
that I bet probably ranked tenth, but in our eyes
he's a top ten guy at nationals, you know, So
i'd say him, you know, as far as somebody that
you know might surprise people, But how do you surprise
somebody when we all know what the type of person

(02:11:02):
he is. But I'd say him. And you know our
our five to six, you know, our five is Estebanosis Compost.
He's from Costa Rica and he's more of a middle
distance type guy that has come along and race is
really smart, really well. And then Dennis Dennis's you know,
he's had an interesting time as he's got here. You know,

(02:11:26):
unfortunately after cross country last year. You know, he finished
tenth at the national meet last year. And I don't
know how. I mean, it's just how life goes, I guess,
because you know, we just couldn't get any answers or anything,
but had a planner fascist issue right after the national
meet I'm talking about, didn't have much issues throughout the season,
and then literally finished the race and then literally had

(02:11:47):
to you know, hubble around campus that that following Monday. Unfortunately,
And to be quite honest with you guys, you know,
I've kind of said this out loud a few times,
but man, if if he was anywhere near the type
of individual he was last year, we would be the
team to be, you know, and I could say that
confidently because you change our number five for an All American.

(02:12:11):
I mean, you know, it's just kind of out there.
So but he's come along. He's finally gotten healthy within
the summer, put in some decent work, but it's just
been so much time off that you know, it's taken
a while. So hopefully he could we could put the
pieces together, not I mean for him, it's about just
being healthy. You know, we've went through so much time
where some dark times. Of course, we all know what

(02:12:35):
injuries come with, and you know, for us like yes,
you know, trying to be a part of something that's
gonna help us. But if we could just stay healthy,
you know, we could enjoy things a little bit better.
So he's coming along. And then on the girls side,
I'd say again, you know our anticipated number three and
Molly I always butcher this at the end, love it.

(02:12:57):
Hopefully she's not watching. I might have mispronun so she's
gonna beat me up or something.

Speaker 8 (02:13:02):
But.

Speaker 9 (02:13:03):
Yeah, she she she should be our number three and
she could turn things around for us pretty quickly. I
think within how talented and how great of an individual
she is. So I'd say, uh, those two, you know,
between men and women, those are individuals we're looking forward to.

Speaker 3 (02:13:25):
And then we know that Jay Hall conference is probably
the toughest conference in the country. But we've got Nationals
around the corner. You have a competitive race some some
other people have. You know, I don't want to say
cakewalks for conference meets, but they get to set their
sites down the road for nationals. Is there is there
a strata. Are we going gangbusters when to win the

(02:13:46):
JY Hall Conference title and kind of hold on for
dear life and then we circle the wagons next week
and get ready.

Speaker 9 (02:13:54):
Honestly, I think you could do that a little bit
easier on the track, I mean, you know, you're shorter distance,
not not too heavy on you mentally and physically. But
on across country, of course, it's a little bit different. Yes,
you know, do we have an eye on this, absolutely,
you know, are we sharpening up for this, absolutely? But no,

(02:14:15):
the the goal and that's the unique part about JUCO
and you know, qualifying quote unquote qualifying to a national
championship is you know, it's not like D one, you
know or D two where you have to go to
these big meets and beat beat some teams. You have
to there's a qualifying standard, you know, you have to
go through regional championships and qualify through there. We don't

(02:14:36):
got to do that. So because of that, No, our
our eyes as have always been set for that national championship.
But we understand the stakes within how competitive this region
is and what it takes to potentially win it. But yeah,
I mean, and all in all, I mean, I don't
want to necessarily sacrifice a national championship for a region championship.

(02:15:00):
But again that kind of comes with the luxury of
the depth that we have in our team.

Speaker 3 (02:15:06):
What did you learn from the battle with Iowa Western
that you're going to take into Nationals.

Speaker 9 (02:15:15):
We're there, We're there, We're there, We're exactly where we
need to be. We're there. I'm I was kind of
upset at first, not so much because we lost to them.
I think that, you know, losing stinks, of course, but
it's just the fact that we didn't have our a

(02:15:35):
game out there, and you know, of course I always
put myself at to blame first, you know, and why
things like this happen, and so at first I was
kind of upset, mainly at myself, just because we had
I mean, an example is we had a guy that,
you know, Sabun Ortega from Columbia. I mean, he's our

(02:15:55):
number three from you know, our second me and he's
an individual that finished right next to the guy that
finished uh third at that meet and he actually had
you know, some personal stuff going on where you know,
he finished thirtieth or something. You know, So yeah, we're
we're there, We're there. So that's a very competitive team.

(02:16:18):
You know, we'll never underestimate anybody. We know how competitive
they are. And you know, they got the best one too,
combo in the country. So it was good to kind
of for all of us to kind of see that.
And on the girl side too, you know, because they're
they're they're pretty good on the girls side, and you
know we had you know, our top girl, Mildred Rono,

(02:16:38):
I mean kind of run their girl down that last
kilometer and you know, just didn't have enough juice that
last hundred meters. But no, it was a great battle
with them. They got a great thing going.

Speaker 3 (02:16:52):
Now. They we've heard the course of Kolby is challenging hilly.
You know, we did as Jersey guys and have driven
through Kansas. We didn't expect to hear people talking about
hills when we were talking about across country course. But
have you have you been there at all as a coach?
I know they didn't have to meet there this season,

(02:17:13):
but have you seen it in the past.

Speaker 9 (02:17:15):
Yeah, my first year as a cross country coach at
Fort Scott I believe was when they hosted I want
to say twenty one. Yeah, I want to say they
hosted in twenty one and got to see it somewhat
and just been doing a lot of research on just
how individuals from their previous teams that have raced there

(02:17:38):
and that other meets have done, and trying to compare
that to one another. And yeah, I mean it's it's
not going to be an easy course by any means,
but yeah, we're prepared. We're prepared.

Speaker 3 (02:17:52):
Is there a spot on the course we expect to
start to see some separation.

Speaker 9 (02:17:58):
From the gun, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (02:18:01):
Kidding?

Speaker 9 (02:18:03):
Yeah, you do that, you might have some trouble the
last seven k right, No, I think, uh, you know,
there's different goals for both groups. I think on the
men's side, you know, it's just an elephant in the
room where you know, we're obviously you know, favorited and
things like that. But yeah, I mean, ultimately go out

(02:18:25):
there and run hard, and you know, if we're in
a pack, then you know, at least within the last
half of the race is try to take people to
the deep end, right, And I think that's what we're
built off of, just within a lot of the work
that we've done and prepared for. So yeah, that that's
kind of their strategy there, at least on the men,
I kind of put that out there. It is what
it is, yeah, right, and even if I mean, no

(02:18:49):
matter what it is, you know, we all as far
as with Butler, we've had so many battles, you know,
last year we had every single race together for cross.
We see each other all through indoor, all through outdoor,
so we both understand what we both have when it
comes to racing each other. But then on the girls, yeah,

(02:19:11):
I mean probably a little bit more strategic in a
sense of trying to win our battles and within the
groups that we're in. And I think if we're able
to do that, then you know, we could be in
a good spot at the end.

Speaker 3 (02:19:23):
We love taking people into deep waters, don't we, Jim. Yeah, Yeah,
It's like my favorite thing in the world.

Speaker 9 (02:19:32):
Oh, I mean, you gotta it's a it's a video
I've I sent our team which was uh ah, I
forget his name, the Lions coach, and that speech that
he had. You know, we've kind of just been or
I've kind of been talking to them about that, which
you know, obviously pretty cliche and such a motivational speech
with you know, a sport like this but yeah, I

(02:19:56):
mean you you have teams that you're in the shallow
end and at the deep end. You want to be
at the deep end, but sometimes you have teams that
could be dangerous and you know you just got to
take them to the deep end, right. So yeah, that's
kind of the.

Speaker 1 (02:20:11):
Goal you fail.

Speaker 4 (02:20:13):
Last year when we spoke to you, you really opened
our eyes to Hutch and the programs there, and we
talked to your athletic director in the spring, Josh gooc Yeah,
I've been following the football team and the football teams
best in the country right now. How how special is
it to be part of that program and how much
does that help you raise your level as a coach?

Speaker 9 (02:20:35):
Matt oh, I'm glad you asked that. Yes, absolutely, Uh great,
you know it starts at the top, right. Josh is
amazing at what he does as far as getting the
right people on board and you know, have vision to
you know, make us all want to be a national
championship caliber team, right Uh but yeah, no, uh, you know,

(02:20:57):
and Drew Dallas oh Man a great individual, great individual.
I can't speak more highly of him. And a lot
of that just has to do with how would I
say this you know, we're you just have your typical
cross country coach, right, every you know, it's just what
we are. It's just cross country, right. And you know
everyone's department, athletic departments always about football, right. And you

(02:21:21):
have an individual that I mean I kind of spoke
about his record last year. I forget how great it is,
but rarely loses, right, the guy rarely loses. And you'd
expect an individual like him, you know, to just walk around,
you know, like he's all that, you know, especially as
a football coach, right, but at least within him. No,

(02:21:41):
I mean anytime you know we cross paths, you know,
you know, we have conversation and you know he doesn't
you know, not just with myself but within our track team.
And you know he's not an individual that yeah, I
mean thinks he's bigger than you know what everything is.
So no, he's a great person and and because of that,
you know, kind of going back to it is, uh, yeah,

(02:22:03):
absolutely got a chip on my shoulder. You know, they
can't be the only team at number one, you know
what I mean, you know, got to be able to
raise that standard and and be another team. You know,
of course being in a season where it's football and
you know, a cross country at the same time, it's
very easy to be overshadowed. And because of that, that's
where you know, some more drive comes in because of that.

(02:22:26):
So trying to do everything we can to kind of
stick out.

Speaker 4 (02:22:31):
Yeah, and something I hadn't mentioned to Josh, and I've
been kind of a nerd about this stuff, so I
pay attention to it. But your si D does a
great job car your guys social media. Oh yeah, all
the sports now better than a lot of the visual
on bro.

Speaker 9 (02:22:47):
Oh yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:22:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (02:22:50):
Steve Carpenter great, great individual as well. I don't know
how he does it. I genuinely don't know. You know,
he'll put out graphics and stuff in the middle of
a volleyball game for cross country, you know, football game
will be going on, and you'll still manage a way
to put you know, a record or anything like that

(02:23:11):
as far as another sport going on. But yeah, no, uh,
great s i D. Great individual. You know, knows our
team top to bottom and yeah, no does does really great.
For Hutchinson athletics.

Speaker 3 (02:23:28):
Coach Josh Josh gooc He was saying that the dining
halls are pretty top notch. Is that Is that true?

Speaker 9 (02:23:34):
Yeah, I agree, been to a lot of junior colleges
and even Division two's around Kansas, and yeah, no, it's
up there. It's up there. You have your options. It's
not just one line of you know your you're you're
one entree. Uh there, there's definitely a lot of options.

Speaker 3 (02:23:54):
He was promises, promising us a good meal when we
make our way out the hutch.

Speaker 9 (02:23:58):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, please do you guys, You guys
will be uh, you guys will be in a good
spot for sure, you know. As far as comparing it
to others.

Speaker 4 (02:24:08):
Yeah, coach, are you still crushing those coconut berry red bulls?

Speaker 9 (02:24:14):
Uh? I got into the Celsius.

Speaker 11 (02:24:18):
Oh.

Speaker 9 (02:24:19):
I want to say I've upgraded and doing better in
my life. So nah, I'm kidding. Yeah, I'd like to
sit here and lie that. You know, it's not as
bad but here and there, here and there, uh, mainly
on morning workouts.

Speaker 3 (02:24:35):
All right, okay, yes, sir, what's your flavor? But you
go to flavor Celsia's.

Speaker 9 (02:24:40):
Oh man, what is it that? Uh? It's like a
Pinia Colado like a five. Yeah, yeah, it's the Pinia
Colada one Pia Colada yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:24:49):
Nice fat. Is there anything about the program the team
this year going into the Jayhall Conference Nationals that we
haven't spoke on that you want our audience to know.

Speaker 9 (02:25:03):
As far as region, no, uh, you know, it's gonna
be a great meat uh, you know, top to bottom
within every single team, especially those top teams you know
haven't really mentioned, but between you know, Garden City and Kobe,
Cowlee and Cloud. You know, I feel bad if I
miss a few others, but there's a lot of teams

(02:25:24):
out there that are are going to be very competitive,
so that would be very fun for all of us
to pretty much rehearse for the national championship meet.

Speaker 1 (02:25:30):
Right.

Speaker 9 (02:25:31):
But then now as far as Nationals, yeah, I mean
it would be really exciting. I went to Iowa Central,
so it's almost could be a Cinderella story. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
and the guys are guys and girls are kind of
aware of that and no, in honesty, yeah, just prepare

(02:25:53):
for the show. Prepare for the show.

Speaker 4 (02:25:55):
Was Deep Brown your coach?

Speaker 9 (02:25:58):
Yes, sir, a great gat guy. That's my hero.

Speaker 4 (02:26:01):
I know we're winded down, but do you have any
funny d Brown stories?

Speaker 9 (02:26:08):
Gosh, uh, funny? I think at least being an athlete.
The one thing that I think of is when him
and coach Myers, uh late Denny Myers that had passed away. Man,

(02:26:32):
that was like the best duo as far as coaching
that I've seen, you know, and I've been around and
seen it a lot between you know, headcross head track
and the definition of good cop back cop you know
I'm talking about. You know, Denny Myers would be the
type two cuss us all out, flip tables, flip chairs,

(02:26:52):
and then you just have Coach Brown out there in
the background just you know, really probably grinning and grinning
a little bit. But you know, and I think that's
kind of when when I think about asle Central and
when I think about Coach Brown, and you know, it's
just the impact that they were able to make as

(02:27:14):
a unit. And now, of course Coach Brown himself and
what he's done is amazing, but you know, at least
as far as when I was an athlete, Yeah, those
two that that that was a duo, that was a duo.

Speaker 3 (02:27:29):
I figured Coach Brown would be the guy flipping tables over.

Speaker 9 (02:27:32):
Now, oh no, you would what in comparison to Coach Myers,
what I won't go into full detail, but I think
he'd still have a job, you know, just because he's
in Juco. But but no, that guy was awesome man,
and you know, with how crazy he was, still everybody

(02:27:54):
knew how much he cared for all of us, so
it was very easy to follow suit.

Speaker 4 (02:27:59):
You are the man, sir. Best of luck this weekend,
best luck in nationals, and thank you so much for
your time this evening.

Speaker 9 (02:28:08):
Yeah, thank you guys so much again for everything you
guys do and being able to highlight our region and yeah,
giving us a platform and time to do all this.
So yeah, we're very excited and again, thank you very much,
and I hope you guys have a good night.

Speaker 3 (02:28:22):
Thanks you too. We will be glued to our computers
on Friday, so it's excited to see a fund race.

Speaker 9 (02:28:28):
Yeah, I'll probably ford you guys that link to there's
a stream and live results. Per appreciate it, yes sir,
all right, you guys have a good night. See you guys.

Speaker 3 (02:28:40):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, there it is. You have it.
The Jayhall Conference, Region six Breakdown, Coaches, round table, running
and gunning tonight. We love doing these. It's great to
reconnect with some old friends and meet some new friends
and some new potential guests. Yeah, I'm fired up for that.

(02:29:03):
I'm excited for Friday.

Speaker 4 (02:29:04):
I know what I'm doing on Friday. I gotta go
to the movies tomorrow because I'm watching the Jayhaw Conference
on Friday.

Speaker 3 (02:29:10):
No, I'm excited. It's fun. And yeah, it's great to
just check in with everyone and hear what's going on
and learn a little bit more about the ultra competitive
Jayhaw Conference and all that it has to offer. And yeah,
we'll definitely have to get some of those coaches back
on or all the coaches back on at some point
to reconnect and recap nationals, but then also just to

(02:29:32):
learn more about some of the cool schools that they
got going on in Kansas.

Speaker 4 (02:29:37):
Yeah, they got some good things going on in Kansas.
And mark your calendar for one year's time, Richie, rich
because we're going to get some barbiquo at Coach Emerson.

Speaker 3 (02:29:47):
Don't tempt me with a good time. All right, ladies
and gentlemen, That is it for us tonight and for
this week. We will be back on Monday evening and
we're going d one. We're going to be joined by
a Jersey guy who's coaching at Missoo, Kyle Levermore, is
going to be joining us. He's going to be talking

(02:30:07):
to us about the Tigers cross country team. They're also
hosting nationals, so we will be getting into that as well.
And then on Wednesday, Brody Bieler from Indiana Wesley and
will be joining us. I believe they are ranked second
on the men's side in NAI across country, and I

(02:30:27):
believe the women are ranked as well, So we'll be
checking in with our friends at the NAI on Wednesday night.
That is it for us. We hope you have a
great weekend and enjoy the rest of your week, and
we will see you back here on Monday night.

Speaker 7 (02:31:00):
T

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