When it comes to decorated teams,it is undeniable that PV men’s cross country team has accumulated a large number of awards. There are several forces that have kept the team performing at peak ability throughout the last decade.
Over the span of the last 10 years, PV Cross Country has stacked up over 20 awards including 10 consecutive MAC titles, nine straight district championship wins, three runner-up performances at state and one state title. The team has also placed in the top five at state during the last nine years.
This unparalleled success can largely be attributed to the coaching staff. Nick Sacco, assistant head coach, said the coaching staff has a two-fold approach to leading the team. “The most important thing that we can do for the athletes on our team is provide opportunities for them to develop confidence in their abilities, but it is also very important to give them ownership in their team,” Sacco stated.
Senior Grant Tebbe, runner on the varsity team, agrees with the philosophies of the cross country team. “I remember being inspired by the senior captains when I first joined the team,” explained Tebbe. “Inspiring the new members this year has proved to me that the coaches know how to train a winning team.” Knowing that he is a role model to others pushed Tebbe even harder during practices and meets.
Sacco acknowledged that an important part of cross country is the physical development of the runners. “The body and mind need stress and recovery to improve,” Sacco said. “Typically we alternate [between] days with hard efforts and days with easy mileage to help our bodies recover.”He believes this alternating workout pattern is the reason behind the number of high-performing runners.
According to Sacco, the sense of leadership and responsibility the coaches have instilled in the team may be the most important aspect. In his eyes, leadership is the driving force behind the team’s consistent dominance. The leadership of the top runners inspires the younger runners to continually push themselves to be the best.
Head coach Erik Belby believes that the ability to push yourself and become better is part of the beauty of cross country. “You don’t have to be good to begin but you have to begin to be good. You never know who is going to make a huge jump each year and develop into the next All-State Spartan,” Belby remarked.
As the team looks to the future in preparation for district championships and state, they will continue to look to the past to find motivation. With the combination of proven coaching methods and team commitment, men’s cross country hopes to be a force in the years to come.
