State 2017

MN State CC meet! Such a great day in so many ways. It was sweet to see Erika gather the Section 5A representatives for a "team huddle," which the other girls loved. And this NIGHTHAWK TEAM! Thank you to all who spent their Saturday with us--Erika is proud to represent you all, and it meant the world to her and our family to have your support. She ran a season best time (19:27), faster than State last year and arguably her best-ever cross country performance. Her 20th place overall earned her All State honors (top 25) for a second time. We've been in this sport long enough to recognize that things don't always fall into place when you want them to, so it's extra special when they do. Thanks to all who made this experience possible! (Lower left photo by MN Prep Photo/www.mnprepphoto.com)

One More

Another nice article in the local paper, this one covering Nighthawks Erika Swanson and Jerilynn Simmer's trip to the 2016 State CC meet. You can also find it online.

Box Buddies

A favorite moment at the State meet: the Section 5A representatives in a "team huddle"--all worthy competitors and a beautiful demonstration of the sport of cross country.

State CC 2016

(click to view larger)

Congratulations to Erika Swanson and Jerilynn Simmer for running at the Class A State Cross Country Championship this weekend, and thanks to the throngs of Nighthawks (teammates, families, and friends--dozens of them!) who drove down on a beautiful day to support and cheer them on! Erika, a sophomore, earned All State honors by taking 18th place (19:36) in her second State meet appearance; Jerilynn, a 9th-grader, took 75th (20:36) in her first trip to the event, out of 176 runners who qualified at their respective Sections statewide.

We coaches can try to describe the scene to our athletes before the event, but the level and depth of competition here is something that cannot be taught--only experienced. Coaching these young women--and all their teammates--is an awesome privilege. When we started the program, State was a very big "someday." We had no idea. These two earned this special weekend through their dedication, discipline, and coachability; and they were excellent ambassadors as they represented their team.

Thanks again to all the team families and sponsors who have supported the program at all levels and steps along the way. Every season is a gift.

Article

Nice article in this week's paper--lots of Nighthawks mentioned for a great Section meet!

Marquee

We are so thankful to have the support of our local community! Thanks to all who are helping make this a special week.

...and of course the video ;)

Nighthawks Make National News

Wow. Nighthawk Cross Country made national homeschooling news! Thanks to all who've been part of the story: team members, families, friends, sponsors, and competitors too. A year ago, we had no idea any of this was on the horizon. So thankful for God's leading in each tentative step. It's been quite the journey.

 

Read the full article here: http://hslda.org/hs/state/mn/201602010.asp

Press

A little publicity is good for a new program, don't you think? :) Erika had the amazing opportunity to be interviewed by the sports writer from our local paper. She enjoyed it very much, and he did a great job representing her and our team in this article:

There was another sub-plot that didn't make it into the story: another new homeschool CC team in our state. After our team's League membership was approved, we were able to help the Rochester team through the process. Good thing, too, because they ended the season with an individual State qualifier as well, from their boys' team. Talk about an exciting debut varsity season for homeschool cooperative teams! Since the girls' State race was held before the boys' event, Erika had the honor of competing first, but the two share a place in homeschool sports history. It is so exciting to watch opportunities unfold that so very recently didn't even exist for these kids.

State

Wow, what a day. Erika Swanson finished the Class A Minnesota State Cross Country Championship race in 31st place, running smart and tough with competition (and crowds!) like nothing we'd ever seen. Thousands of girls statewide (over 200 schools' worth) compete each year for the privilege of the final 176 spots at the starting line. She ran the race set before her (Heb. 12:1) and has much to be thankful for in this season as a whole.

She also made history--whether or not it will be recorded anywhere ;) -- as the first athlete in Minnesota, in any sport, to compete in a State Championship representing a homeschool cooperative team. We all learned so much. The experience itself was more fun and exciting for her and her teammates than any of them thought it would be, and several left starry-eyed with their own State dreams. Erika's highlights? Being allowed into athlete-access-only areas, just by flashing her race number. Visiting St. Olaf College. Sharing a starting box with one of her heroes. Having the onsite support of teammates and families. And, of course, finding her name listed on the State t-shirt. :)

All typical of what cross country means to our team: fun, new experiences, inspiration, and a side of surprise. We just love Nighthawk Cross Country. Thanks to all who helped make this happen.

Pre-State Fun

The CC course was open this afternoon so the athletes could check it out before the big day. The starting area is massive. In fact, *everything* here is BIG. And there are a lot of *very* excited kids here. We brought buddies today for pre-meet warmups and moral support...okay, comic relief. We also were thrilled to meet up with our college track/CC coach (we parent-coaches met at St. Olaf, where the State meet has been held since our time there) as well as one of Erika's childhood babysitters who now runs there. It's all a bit surreal. Will keep you posted Saturday--Go Erika!

Sections

It was a great day for the Nighthawks at our very first Section cross country meet. There were a few "Who?" comments, but all seemed positive. The course was cold, wet, and slow; but over half our boys' team came home with PR's, both boys' and girls' teams outscored a few other teams (gotta start somewhere), and our top girl qualified for State! So...it turns out the season has been extended while she makes a little more history for us, representing a homeschool cooperative team at a State Championship. Congrats to all of our Nighthawks for a great season, and we'll be cheering for you next week, Erika!