NXN Preview: Illinois Contingent Ready To Converge On Portland
Perhaps the most exciting part about the Nike Cross Nationals is meeting and greeting the kids at Portland International Airport (PDX) on Thursday. It is especially fun to see the smiles and in some cases sleepy mugs of young men and women who trickle in from their destinations. The teams from the east coast (New York, Northeast, and Southeast) usually arrive on Wednesday which provide them an extra day to adjust to the three hour time change.
The Illinois contingent will be a force to be reckon with amid the fun and excitement they will experience over the next three to four days. The Dukes of York men streak ends at nine but West Suburban Conference foe Hinsdale Central will take the torch and a hope of a top 5-10 finish. McHenry junior Jesse Reiser, Downers Grove North senior Zack Smith, and Elmhurst York senior Nathan Mroz will also take part in their first national championship race.
The Naperville North girls have some unfinished business to complete this weekend. The Huskies return for the second year in a row after finishing 15th last year. They have a goal of impressing themselves as well as the stiff competition. New Trier junior Mimi Smith will also make her second trip in a row- this time as an individual.
NXN RACE SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Portland Meadows, Portland OR
9:30am: Webcast Starts
10:05am: Girl's Championship Race
11:35am: Boy's Championship Race
12:45pm: Community Race
* Awards to follow each race
* Schedule subject to change
The championship course will be modified and improved this year-
Says the NXN course officials: We’ve undergone a number of modifications and improvements to the Portland Meadows race course this year to create the best possible conditions! Mother Nature surprised us with above average rainfall in 2012 (2.6 inches above the norm), creating extreme course conditions that many found not suitable for cross-country racing. We don’t want to put our competitors out in a giant puddle this year so we are taking every precaution possible to create the best race experience. Some changes you can expect:
-Added course maintenance throughout the year for better irrigation and preparation
-Adjustments to the race course and man-made obstacles to avoid problem areas that were identified last year
-Extra staff to manage the course and conditions
-Added water pumps to manage unpredictable rainfall
Fun items for all-
NXN COACHES CLINIC
Saturday Dec. 7 at 4:30pm
Nike WHQ - Tiger Woods Center – Stanford Theater
Guest Coach/Athlete Panel includes:
Coach Jerry Schumacher
Pascal Dobert – strength/mobility coach
Athletes: Chris Solinsky, Evan Jager and Emily Infeld
*Free and open to the public
Boys-
Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale Central TC/The Dale Track Club)
Coach: Andy Caveney
NXN History: first appearance
Probable lineup: Billy Magnesen (Sr.), Kevin Huang (Sr.), Blake Evertsen (Fr.), TJ Caveney (Sr.), Alex Domiano (Jr.), Emmett Scully (Sr.), Matt McBrien (Jr.).
Outlook: The Red Devils earned their trip to Portland as an at-large selection based on a strong portfolio they built up during the regular and post-season. The 3A state champions avenged their only season loss against then #1 York with an imposing victory at Detweiller Park. So the only real blemish has to be the NXN MW Regional third place finish in which the squad ran mostly as a tight unit. Certainly Magnesen and Huang could challenge for top 25 spots if they choose to, but the goal will be something of a team variety. The Dale will need to deploy their sardine tight pack style of race. In addition, the Devil boys will need to use some ingenuity such as seeing one another in the sweet, lively uniforms and a Jumbotron on the course. At the end of the day, it is going to take the usual sub 30-second scoring split they have been running of late to reach the promise land. The field on Saturday will be the absolute best competition the Dale will face all season.
Inside scoop: The team has followed a program similar to the one they ran during the regular season that is delegated through the team captains. #1 runner Billy Magnesen outlined the details: “it's up to us to organize and execute workouts and runs. Training has been solid for us over the past few weeks, and we've been focused on quality over quantity. We run basically two hard efforts a week, in addition to a tempo-type run once a week. Our mileage hasn't been nearly as high as it was during the summer or regular season, but we're still getting what we need out of it.
We've talked about our goals for the race a little, and we think that if we finish around 10th place. We will feel like we've succeeded, but we know that the best teams in the nation are here and that we will need to execute on race day for that to happen.”
Individuals:
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Jesse Reiser (Jr., McHenry)
Jesse’s file: 5k- 15:11, 3m- 14:22, 3200m- 9:05.40, 1600m- 4:19.03.
Outlook: This young man has enjoyed a wonderful season with a bevy of winning performances in big meets to prove it. Even in defeat Reiser has impressed his fans and onlookers like runner-up finishes in the state 3A final and the NXN MW Regional. He also earned a trip to San Diego for the Footlocker Cross Country National Championship when he placed third in the MW Regional against a stout field. The confidence that the emerging national star has built up should put him in contention for All-American honors. The Land of Lincoln boys have done very well in that department in NXN history.
Zack Smith (Sr., Downers Grove North)
Zack’s file: 5k- 15:23, 3m- 14:23, 3200m- 9:12.50, 1600m- 4:13.23.
Outlook: Before Mr. Smith heads off to his beloved track season he will look to complete some unfinished business at Portland Meadows. Smith placed behind his friend Jesse Reiser on several occasions and he would love to beat his NXN roommate in his high school harrier finale. In order to get the job done, he will need to manage himself against a stellar field that is expected to go out blazing fast. That means he will need to keep track of Reiser and the rest of the Midwest individual qualifiers as well as watch the pace of the race simultaneously. Smith has tremendous range being that he is more of a miler type with a killer kick. He certainly has the ability to be among the top 20 at the end of the race.
Nathan Mroz (Sr., Elmhurst York)-
Nathan’s file: 5k- 16:16, 3m- 14:33, 3200m- 9:22.31, 1600-4:19.72
Outlook: Mroz keeps York’s NXN streak alive (sort of)… he will be the lone wolf for the Kroy express though it is kind of fitting for him to be running solo after missing the 2012 season. Mroz has been consistent in light of his team’s collapse as evidenced by a fifth place finish at state followed by sixth in the Midwest Nike Regional. The ceiling is high for this young man to do well this weekend.
Girls-
Naperville North (North Naperville XC Club)
Coaches: Brian Hamilton and Bob Gibson
NXN History: 3rd appearance: 2012- 15th, 2005- 4th
Possible line-up: Elly DeTurris (Jr.), Maria McDaniel (Sr.), Emory Griffin (So.), Judy Pendergast (So.), Ella Guppy (So.), Claire Hamilton (Fr.), Jenny Gibson (Sr.)
Outlook: The state-runner up and NXN Regional second place darlings return back to Portland with an opportunity to show the pundits they are truly one of the best teams in the nation. While it is debatable they are as good as the ’05 club, the Huskies are extremely stout with DeTurris and McDaniel leading the way as front runners. The remaining scoring pack is dependable and if all goes well they should be a contender for a top 10 finish. The key to success will be getting out and establishing position during the first kilometer and then the rugged back loop. At the Roy Griak Invitational back in late September up in Minnesota, the Huskies got out too fast on a course similar to the Portland Meadows and faded down the stretch. The team learned some valuable lessons from that race according to head coach Dan Iverson. The course conditions are expected to be in excellent conditions by Portland standards. The final kilometer will take care of itself if the girls are in the position to strike down some of the favorites.
Inside scoop according to the coaching staff: The girls have been doing a lot of strength-based preparation since the week after NXR as a VERY low-key week. They just ran about four miles a day with some gentle strides as a means of re-generating a bit mentally and physically after a five-week run from conference to NXR. Then, last week, we returned to a regular training routine. We did a segment, interval-style workout over hay bales on the last two Mondays. We have done a hill workout the past two Wednesdays, also using hay bales for specificity practice. We did long runs the last two Saturdays as well, going about 70 minutes both weeks (which is below the 90 of our peak long runs, but long for now nonetheless).
We have kept up our dead-lifting and plyometric work, along with our regular squats as well. Overall, our volume has been slightly above what it was in the week or two before state – more mirroring the strength work that is our bread and butter training. They have been training together virtually every day, but they were a bit scattered over Thanksgiving, as some of them were out of town.
All in all, we are pretty much ready for Portland! We are still lacking Kate Shannon’s services (but she is back training now, btw – we did not think it was prudent to rush her recovery), but Claire’s ankle appears to be fine and we are set with our team for this weekend, and I’m excited to see where we finish! The girls have really done an excellent job of leading themselves in the absence of regular practices with [high school] coaches. We have been impressed with the leadership they have shown!
Mimi Smith (Jr., Winnetka New Trier)
Mimi’s file: 5k- 18:01; 3m- 16:43; 3200m- 11:00.10; 1600m- 4:59.06; 3A State XC Champion;
Outlook: Don’t get it twisted. Mimi Smith is deserving of her delayed NXN bid despite finishing 7th in the NXN MW Championship race after Effingham (St. Anthony) freshman sensation Anna Sophia Keller forfeited her trip due to club swimming season.
Smith finished a very good 22nd last year in the mudfest. The course should be to Smith’s as it should be more solid and firmer than it ever has before. She is a miler at heart and solid footing may benefit her well down the stretch. In addition, the valuable experience should pay off well with the real possibility of dipping inside the top 15-20.
Inside scoop on Mimi according to her father Charles Smith: Mimi is charged up to head back to Portland Meadows for the 2013 NXN. It will be a different experience for her not racing with her Wilmette Running Club team. In 2011, freshman year, her team finished in a tie for 3rd and as an individual she placed 30th. In 2012 the team finished one point out of the top 10 and she finished tied for 22nd (top 21 are “All-American”). Obviously she would like to improve on those finishes. There are a lot of talented runners in this race, clearly. She has the heart of a lion and wherever she finishes, those that follow her will know she left nothing in the tank. You were right in your last overview of her; she has a mental focus that drives her to respond when the pressure is on.
Since the IL State 3A race, you can imagine the emotional high she has been on. With that success also come the higher exposure, calls from reporters, and outreach from universities. She also has had a disciplined focus on her school work, which as a junior at New Trier High School is demanding. Through all of that, she has trained on her own since NXR. Training on one’s own (even if Dad is riding a bike alongside!) is challenging. A lonely solider marching towards a noble, passion driven goal! She knows her team’s NXR experience will serve as a great platform for the collective future. Mimi is grateful to all the people who have reached out and congratulated her on the state championship, including some of her high school competitors. Their outreach was heartfelt and representative of the fantastic XC community in Illinois.
Mimi has trained consistently the past several weeks – following a similar regime as during the high school season…just not as socially enjoyable without her teammates. Health wise she is in fine shape. No need for icing lately and her core work, in compliment w/ running training, has been a large component to her injury free career.
We know she will represent IL and the Midwest well. She is looking forward to a different type of NXN experience, as an individual, and meeting many of the other incredible athletes who will be in the race. Maybe some will be future teammates!