At the end of the last year’s season, the boys’ cross country team found themselves in a position no team wants to be in at the state meet. As the results were posted, the team on the top of the list was not Pleasant Valley. When it came down to it, the Spartans were just 2 points and 0.3 seconds away from a state championship. This defeat has stuck with the cross country team, and has been the major motivation for this year’s hopeful success.
The Spartans are on the hunt for redemption. At the beginning of the season, the Iowa Association of Track and Field Coaches ranked Pleasant Valley No.1 in the 4A class. But, with last year’s results still fresh in their minds, the runners haven’t let it affect them. Senior Anthony Pena states, “I think the team was definitely motivated this summer by how close we were last year. The mentality has definitely been the same all season and it’s to get that state title that eluded us last year.”
This year, the battle for gold will once again be between Dowling Catholic and Pleasant Valley. Like Dowling Catholic, the Pleasant Valley team only lost three runners from last season. Still, the team is considered to be fairly young and lacking varsity experience. With the majority of the team returning, the remaining spots have been filled by former JV runners and underclassmen. This has required some of the more experienced runners to step up and take a leadership position.
The front runners for the Spartans are seniors Konnor Sommer and Anthony Pena. With both of them being key components of last year’s state squad, they have made an emphasis on making their last run at the state championship the best one yet. To do this, they have stepped up and embraced their roles as leaders. “We try to set a good example for the underclassmen by being respectful and having a good work ethic. It’s our responsibility to make sure all the members of the team are training well by leading them on runs, leading core and stretches, setting the pace in workouts, and encouraging them in general.” says Sommer.
With the regular season winding down the Spartans have their sights set on finishing strong during the remainder of the season and getting the gold in Fort Dodge.
