Banquet

Celebrating another CC season! We value each runner who participates, so we strive to recognize each one with words of affirmation and appreciation for their unique part of the team. It may take a while to acknowledge them all, but it brings near-perfect attendance at banquets. :) Thanks to everyone who helped make this a great night--we have the best banquet team, and we appreciate all of your work and creativity. Thanks to our captains for serving the team and to the coaches for investing so much in these student-athletes. Congratulations to those who earned volunteer service awards, varsity letters, athlete of the meet, and other fun awards. And we sure will miss you, seniors! Thanks also to all who supported us this season in various ways.

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)

Early-season Meets

Just a few of the favorite pics from last week's meets. Team records and PR's continue to fall! So proud of our Nighthawks for all the new events they're trying this season. Love this crew and the great people we get to work with. (BTW holding a competitor's blocks is high-class sportsmanship...)

2016 Cross Country Slideshow - Season Summary

Making progress! A season of growth and improvement while building community and having a great time. Length = 4 minutes. Enjoy!

2016 Nighthawk Cross Country Banquet

That's a wrap! The End-of-Season Banquet is a sweet time of celebration for a season well done. Many thanks to the team-moms who made it all so beautiful. This is a family event (130 in attendance, wow) designed to recognize, encourage, and honor each athlete's unique character and contribution to the team. Thanks to all runners for giving us your hearts for a season and to all of the parents, grandparents, and siblings who supported us each step of the way. And best wishes to our seniors--we will miss you!

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.

Grasshopper

Gale Woods Farm is considered to be one of the toughest cross country courses in the state. With so many flat courses out there ("track on grass"), The Farm is a test of strength both physical and mental: True cross country. It is remarkably hilly, easily pack-splitting, and often desolate--not at all spectator friendly, so voices of encouragement must come from within. (If you look at the middle of the picture, in front of the trees, you'll see a line of tiny runners making their way through the grass along the road...the other scattered objects are massive round bales.) Crossing the finish line is a victory, and any feeling of defeat is a temporary illusion as new confidence is born. It puts all other races into perspective; and for some crazy reason, our runners emphatically ask to return!

Jacob

With the events in St. Joseph this week, the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center asked that individuals display the number 11 to honor Jacob’s spirit and his sense of fairness. 11 traits were emphasized and shared with each team at the meet this week:
1. Be fair
2. Be kind
3. Be understanding
4. Be honest
5. Be thankful
6. Be a good sport
7. Be a good friend
8. Be joyful
9. Be generous
10. Be gentle with others
11. Be positive
Jacob wore the #11 jersey and was 11 when he was kidnapped from near his home in St. Joseph on Oct. 22, 1989. None of our runners had yet been born, but we parents remember. Every day is a gift.

Geezers

Another early-season favorite: the Geezer Chase 2-mile fun run in St. Louis Park. Non-CC runners (parents, siblings, and friends) get a 2-minute head start, and the CC runners chase the "geezers." Brings an entirely new level of motivation! :D Thanks to all for the fun and sportsmanship.

Nighthawks

This was SO COOL! At least a dozen nighthawks were flying over our fields (the CC "home course") this evening. They fly fast and change directions quickly. Not an easy photo session but very exciting. They're probably migrating (to South America), but we hope they stick around for practice tomorrow night...!

How Neuroscientists Explain the Mind-Clearing Magic of Running

 

"The other fascinating thing here is where these new cells pop up: in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with learning and memory. So this could help explain, at least partially, why so many studies have identified a link between aerobic exercise and improvement in memory. 'If you are exercising so that you sweat — about 30 to 40 minutes — new brain cells are being born,' added Postal, who herself is a runner. 'And it just happens to be in that memory area.'"

Read the full article here:

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/04/how-neuroscientists-explain-the-mind-clearing-magic-of-running.html

2016 Track & Field Slideshow (promo length)

There you have it: The inaugural season summarized in less than 4 minutes...

Celebration

Each individual involved in this team was exactly who our inaugural track & field season needed, and each athlete was invited to the front to be recognized at our end-of-season banquet. The goal is not only to reward performance character strengths but also to highlight moral character strengths—the actions and instances of growth that lead to better relationships with others. Lots of food, fun, and hugs; memories shared, awards given, and senior batons signed. Thanks again to all the families who committed their time to each other this season!

Sportsmanship

Maple Lake Invite: So many things to love about this meet. (Well, except the weather. Always the weather!) Smaller teams meant being "in the mix" in more events than previous competitions and an exciting envelope of medals and ribbons. We continue to develop relationships with other coaches; their support has been remarkable and encouraging. And most significantly, sportsmanship is becoming a natural part of the routine, through volunteering where needed and congratulating competitors at the finish line. Your efforts are being noticed, Nighthawks, and it makes time at the track that much more fun and rewarding for everyone. Keep up the good work!

10 Things That Require Zero Talent

Going around Facebook... :)

The Dual: Minnesota Gophers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Track & Field (Indoors)

Went to the Minnesota-Wisconsin dual to get some track & field inspiration. Bonus: Bill Thornton, our retired St. Olaf College track coach, was there officiating! The athletics were *astounding*. And blurry. Because that's what happens when you run fast. Whoever gets the blurriest, wins. Can't wait 'til March!

Rocky

One of our college track buddies mentioned this clip from Rocky IV... A lack of training facilities didn't stop Rocky, and it won't stop us, ha!

2015 Promo Slideshow

The best we could do to condense 3 months in to 3 minutes! Practices, home course work day (a.k.a. Mega Fun Day), games, races/meets, sibling fun runs, and all around good times... This is Nighthawk Cross Country:

From 28th to First

Home Schooled Madeleine Davison Wins Foot Locker Northeast. 17:39 5K. Wow. The real story here is how she paced herself to make it happen. Read about it here: http://bit.ly/1Rd3TwA