In 2011, Grant cross country became a new sport – a sport about teamwork, dedication and togetherness. Under the leadership of new head coach Doug Winn, the theme of the season was “breaking barriers.”
“There was definitely more turnout this year and there were lots of activities that we did as a team compared to past years,” said senior Andre Walker. “We had game nights and did lots of different runs.”
The team also started workouts in June, much sooner than previous years. As junior Katrina Rapp described it: “Mr. Winn really focused on putting the joy back into running, running like a child again. He really just wanted us to love what we were doing.”
As the cross country season became a treasured experience rather than a tedious commitment, the number of runners on the team swelled. Winn set up different groups so that they spent extra time bonding with the runners racing alongside them.
For the runners, the season began with the extreme and muddy Trask Mountain Assault meet where a strong team spirit was born. This united feeling grew as Winn introduced new traditions, like the Golden Shoe Award for racers who push the team and themselves to new levels.
Girls varsity won the Three Rivers League District meet, led by senior captain Lily Martin-Chamberlain who finished the five-kilometer course with a time of 20:15. She was followed by senior Christina Mulch (20:16) and freshman Libby Kokes (20:18).
The girls then went on to the state championship meet where the team placed seventh. Mulch placed 20th overall for Grant in a time of 19:47 for 5k. Kokes placed 32nd (20:21), while Martin- Chamberlain crossed the finish line 46th (21:10).
Looking back on the season, captain Clara Olson says athletes from other teams like soccer often joined the team as part-time runners. This year was different. “We started out hoping we would all do well individually, and as we started to get to know each other the whole goal of running for yourself disappeared,” Olson says.
“We were still definitely racing because we liked to PR and feel good about ourselves but it became so much more about the team. Last year, we were carried to state by other athletes. This year, we made it to state as a team.”
For the boys, the star of the team was senior Andre Walker, who won the TRL District Meet with a time of 15:45 over the 5k course. The team placed third but Walker’s finish allowed him to represent Grant at the state meet where he placed 18th (16:20) out of 103 competitors. “I definitely see us taking both boys and girls to state in the future,” said Winn.
The season began earlier and became more than anyone expected. It ended with an incredible improvement over past years and left the team with a taste of victory going into next season.
Winn created a stronger and more dedicated program. He taught his team that with good teammates and supportive coaches, cross country is more than just running. It is a lifestyle.
