Dustin Horter and Zach Birdsall of Fairfield. Birdsall would finish 2nd in 16:23.30.
Lakota East sophomore, Dustin Horter, participated in and was highlighted in our Saucony Flo Summer Training Blog. Saucony Flo Summer Training Blog. We do not often have the opportunity to blog during the XC and track seasons, but Dustin has agreed to provide us with his thoughts on his races on a weekly basis throughout this season. In this, the third of the series, Dustin comments on his race in the Queen City Invitational Race- 9/5/15
Thoughts on Queen City Invitational Race- 9/5/15
The day was perfect. The team was really excited to run on this course because we knew it would be pretty fast and we had a feeling we would do really well. We practiced a little easier than usual during the week and had our legs under us for this race. We all warmed up a mile and a half, stretched, did drills and strides, and then got to the race. The start was hectic but about four hundred meters into the race, people started to drop back and the crowd thinned out. The whole first mile was Zach Birdsall and I running fairly close together and taking it out quick. The first mile was about 4:41 which is pushing it. I felt fine but that was too fast to start out with. I felt pretty relaxed on the next mile, going over roll over hills and just running hard up them and maintaining the pace on the way down. I was trying to make the course tighter and run right alongside the rope to go faster. I came through the second mile at 9:50 and with a mile to go, I was feeling great. The third and final mile was the hardest and longest mile of the race. It took place in a wooded area on the side of the main spectator grounds so there was no crowd motivation to bring me through it. Those types of runs however are very beneficial for me because I start to question my pace and speed up. I made it through the wooded area and had about four hundred meters to go. At that point the boost and feeling of, "I just want to be done" kicked in and I darted to the finish line. I heard my Coach, Adam Thomas, yelling, "14:45!" with four hundred meters to go. That really got me pumped up! I crossed the line at 15:21.4 and I couldn't have been happier. I've been working really hard in practice lately and given the fact that I beat a lifetime PR of mine by 17 seconds, I was pretty happy. Our Men's team won the whole meet which was icing on the cake. Everyone did a really nice job.
My special moment of the week comes from an event that involves the entire team. Usually our team policy is for everyone as soon as the race is over to walk back and cool down within twenty minutes of the ending of the race. Well this week, coach decided that everyone should stay at the line as far up as the meet directors would let us go and shake hands at the finish line. Every single guy on the team went back, got a cup of water, and then walked back to the line and shook numerous hands and said many "Good Jobs". Some guys on our team were even getting cups of water for competitors of other teams and greeting them at the line with a cup of water and a high five. That right there is what cross country is all about… Sportsmanship. There is such a range of talent and purpose for an individual on a cross country team and it's nice to see that the people surrounding me every day at practice show their respect and appreciation for the competition. It was so nice to see everyone having fun and coming together as a whole to congratulate those who work their absolute hardest day in and day out, no matter what time they run.