2022 Ike Cross
Cross country is one of Eisenhower’s best and most storied sports. The girls are at 145 straight consecutive league wins, and the boys, who finished 3rd at state last year. I had the privilege to interview a couple of our runners, Nathan Johnson and Jason Taylor, as well as the head coach Mister.
Why did these runners join cross country? Nathan joined it because he had an older sibling who ran cross country, and he wanted to try it out. In his words, “I joined cross country as a freshman because my older sister was on the team, so I decided to try it out. I fell in love with the team aspect of the sport and always having a group of people pushing you both inside and outside of practice.” Jason joined it because he wanted to help himself in life. “I initially joined the cross country team to work on my health and learn life skills.”
What makes this team so successful? According to Nathan, “This team is so successful because we work harder than any other team at Eisenhower because we have the highest expectations to live up to. It's expected for cross country to make it to state every year; meanwhile, it's a huge accomplishment for any other team. Because of these expectations, we work hard all year long training whether it's mornings before school starts, after school ends, even weekends when there is no school.” And Jason said, “I believe the cross country team is so successful because of our coach, Mr. English, who can turn kids into fantastic runners.” According to Mister, “ Everyone has to be aware of the common team goals for the season. Every day, there needs to be a clearly defined reason as to why they are doing this intense training. For some, it is a desire to compete in a D-1 college program. For others, it might be a desire to continue the decades-long success of the program here at Eisenhower.” This is some dedication that can go unmatched and shows the power of the coach.
Why should someone join cross country? Nathan said, “ People should join cross country because there is such a positive team environment where you will gain friendships and unforgettable memories.” And Jason said, “Anyone that wants to know how it feels to get the payoffs of pushing their bodies hard and improve themselves should join cross country.” Mister said, “While everyone is welcome to join the program. There are clear expectations for those that are part of the program. If there is one defining aspect of the program, it is that kids will learn to be able to discipline themselves so others won't have to. This skill will influence many aspects of their lives from academics to the workforce.” So if you want to do these things and are dedicated to it, you should run cross country.
So this is a look at the cross country team and some of their thoughts. You should go to one of their meets and cheer on these runners because they are some of the best in the state.
