“Tanisha, I got you a ticket to XC nationals”
Front view of the pack about 1k into the race
Summary
Let’s lay down the background: BYU never struggles to qualify the team to NCAA championships, it’s just a matter of who we are suiting up to toe the line there. Had I run really well at the conference meet, I wouldn’t have needed to run this race. But, Coach Eyestone had his doubts in me after a less than impressive run from me two weeks prior. So this regional race was the way he determined the final two spots for the top seven at the championships. The 5 he selected as sure spots were Conner Mantz, Danny Carney, Jake Heslington, Brandon Garnica, and Matt Owens. Of the 5, he rested 2 so that 4 could compete in this race for the final 2 spots. The 4 he selected were myself, Connor Weaver, Kramer Morton, and Zac Jacklin. I don’t like to competing like this against my own teammates, but it’s the price you pay when you’re on such a deep team. Going into this race, the goal was simply to be top 2 of the 4 fighting for spots.
This race was held in Salt Lake City on a flat golf course. It was a fun little trip where we stayed close to home, and Tanisha was able to come up and watch the race. Despite the inter-squad competition, memories from this trip are very positive. I will always cherish the good times I had with the team on this trip.
The Race
Running alone in the final 2k
Toeing the line, I felt an immense amount of nerves; more than any other race in the season up to this point. This being my 5th race of the season, I had confidence in my fitness. I knew that as long as I had a normal “good” day, I would achieve my goal of grabbing a top 7 spot on the squad for the NCAA championships. As the gun went off, I took off hard to get myself in a top position. My game plan was to get in the top 15 or so, and hang on longer than my teammates (Connor, Kramer, and Zac). As the race progressed, I made several surges to the front to increase my adrenaline. I have found that I gain an excitement and confidence that I don’t experience if I remain behind the leaders.
I can’t tell the story of this race without mentioning the level of rough housing we all experienced. As the ground was dirt and dry, dust was kicking up into our faces with every step. To add to the dust, everybody was tightly bunched for nearly the entire race. I got clipped, elbowed, nudged and everything in between too many times to count. I nearly tripped and went down twice, and I saw multiple people who did fall in the race. Danny Carney can attest to the violence we experienced.
Crossing the line in 21st to secure a spot in the NCAA championships
I stayed in the front pack with not a lot of change happening. As we came through 7k, I decided to make one more surge to the front to keep myself in the race. This one hurt, but helped me to stay focused and keep my mind in the moment. Passing through 8k, I couldn’t believe I was still with the leaders! I only had 2k to run, and my 3 teammates I was competing with were nowhere to be seen. Very soon after, the move was finally made by some NAU boys who couldn’t hold back any longer. I found myself falling off and running alone. by 9k, I heard Coach Eyestone tell me that I had run a good race, and I would run at nationals. He also told me I could back off at the end. Not a moment later, Connor Weaver zips past me in his beloved Nike Vaporflys (I still don’t know how he ran XC so well in those shoes). As I came up tot he final 400 meters, I was in 16th place; a comfortable position to make all-region and make the top 7 for the team. However, with Coach Eyestone’s advice to back off, back off I did. I was passed not 1, not 2, but 5 times in the final stretch to finish in 21st. I didn’t care one bit, my mission was accomplished: I made it to nationals and got Tanisha a ticket too.