December 14, 2022
A storybook ending to a great Cross Country season...
What a year it has been! There have been so many great memories made this season thanks to my teammates as well as the great moments that Cross Country has brought along in itself. However, on November 19th those great moments would come full circle after realizing that our season had come to an end. With that being said, there was still one more mission that needed to be accomplished.
After individually qualifying for the NCAA II National Cross Country Championships, I had to regain my focus and change my mentality. My team wouldn’t be traveling with me to Washington and that’s when my motivation changed...I wanted to represent them in the best way possible. My teammates and I dedicate so much time to this sport and it was my job to represent that hard work for the team. My goal was to place in the Top 40 which would snatch a podium spot and All-American recognition.
The two weeks leading up to the National meet weren’t the easiest. Going home for Thanksgiving break, eating some great food, and spending time with family and friends forced running to take a step back on my priority list...But thanks to a lot of encouragement and motivation from teammates I was able to stay focused and prepared.
On Sunday, November 27th I traveled back to Cedarville in preparation for travel that would come on Monday afternoon. Monday morning I woke up to run one last workout on our track before leaving for the Columbus airport. Coach Orchard and I left Monday afternoon and arrived at the airport in plenty of time to get some food and some festive Starbucks coffee before take off. The girls team boarded the same flight as us for the long six hour flight across the country. Watching some movies and taking a nap made the flight go by pretty quickly though.
We arrived in Seattle around 1 AM Eastern Time but the west coast night was still young. Coach O and I found our rental car company rather quickly and were happily surprised with what would happen next...Walking down the stairs to our car we jokingly talked about how cool the green Chevy Camaro looked sitting in the middle of the garage. Next thing you know we’re being asked what car we’d like to drive for the week by the Enterprise worker. With no hesitation we walked over and claimed our green Chevy Camaro sport car. We drove away in style and fit right in with the city atmosphere.
Arriving in the city overnight was a beautiful sight. The Christmas lights, skyscrapers, and traffic were all signs that we were getting close to where we were supposed to be. We pulled up to the biggest hotel that I had ever seen. After facing some confusing road signs and one ways we finally landed in our hotel parking garage. We checked in and took the elevator to floor 10 out of 45! After a longgg Monday it was time to get some sleep.
Tuesday morning arrived quickly for me as I turned to the clock and saw 5 AM. The three hour time change would take some time to get used to. The sun started to rise soon after and I looked out the window and saw just how big the city of Seattle really was. Around 10:30 AM Coach and I walked down to the ball room to pick up some credentials for the race on Friday. The ballroom was turned into an athlete lounge for all of the competitors competing in the NCAA Division II Cross Country, Volleyball, Soccer, and Field Hockey championships. The activities included: Air Hockey, Mario Kart, basketball rims, ping-pong, Pac-Man, and so much more. After playing some Pac-Man, Coach and I walked into town and got some good breakfast at a Cafe’ nearby. Later in the day we drove to a cool running spot right on a lake. After the run we got some lunch with the girls team where I taught Bethany that ketchup gets hot if you pour salt in it. (If you don’t know about this amazing experiment you should ask me sometime).
After lunch we headed back to the hotel to relax a little bit before going to the opening ceremonies. The opening ceremony was held at a pop culture museum in downtown Seattle. We were shuttled over to the museum from our hotel which was just a few blocks away. The NCAA provided us with some solid food and desserts for the occasion. After eating we were able to roam around the museum which was really fun. Later on in the evening the NCAA brought up some speakers on stage to welcome and congratulate everyone for making it to Nationals. This was a really fun evening and it really set the tone for the rest of the week.
By Wednesday morning the time change was finally starting to feel somewhat normal. We went down to the ballroom for a great breakfast that consisted of every breakfast food that you could ever want. At this point there were still a couple days until my race, so I took advantage of the quantity of food. One of my favorite parts of the atmosphere was getting to meet other teams and individuals that I would compete against on Friday morning.
After breakfast we decided to travel to the course to run and scope out the area. The course was in a beautiful location right on the water of Chamber Bay. Pulling up in our Camaro grabbed the attention of many coaches and athletes that were already at the course. Multiple people came up to coach and I to ask how we managed to pull that car. We then made our way over to the starting line to start the run. The course was pretty muddy with all of the rain that had come in from days prior. While previewing the course I slipped and fell but quickly got up to try and avoid the embarrassment. Luckily nobody saw it transpire so the coast was clear, until I realized that my back was covered in mud.
After jogging the course and answering some questions about why my shirt was so muddy, it was time to grab some lunch. We found a cool pizza place close to the bay to stop in at. After lunch we went back to the hotel. Personally, most of my evening was spent in the athlete lounge beating some of the girls in Mario Kart and foosball.
Waking up Thursday morning I had a weird feeling in my stomach because I realized that the next morning would be race day. Reality was starting to set in that the real reason for the trip was quickly approaching. However, that didn’t stop us from having a fun and productive day. After eating breakfast and knocking out some homework, Coach and I drove to Green Lake so I could get a good pre-meet run in. This is where we would soon see the “big red thing” in the sky for the first time on the whole trip. (AKA the sun) Seeing the sun in Washington is a pretty rare occasion but it was perfect timing for what we had planned later in the day.
After a short run and strides we got to meet my parents for lunch back in the downtown area. Next on the agenda was to get to the top of the world famous space needle that was right across the street. If you have a phobia of elevators, I recommend that you not put the space needle on your bucket list. The elevator ride took a long time because of the 605' elevation gain to the top. It also had glass doors so you could see the absolutely amazing view the whole way up! Once we made it to the top we walked around outside where the floor and windows were all glass. Fun fact: There is a rotating belt that you can ride around the building that takes 45 minutes to make a full circle. We took lots of pictures and just enjoyed the great views of God’s beautiful creation. The views included seeing Mount Rainier, bays, skyscrapers, and even our green Camaro in the visitors parking lot! After the long trip back down the elevator, we went back to the hotel where I would then take a nice afternoon nap.
Once I woke up it was time to head out for dinner. If you’re a dedicated XC Blog reader, then you know where I chose to go. My parents, Coach and I enjoyed a nice meal at
Olive Garden. Once dinner was over, I carried on the tradition for the team by getting Coach O dessert and singing Happy Birthday. It was then time to go back and get ready for the big morning that was ahead.
Before laying down there was a knock on my hotel door. When I opened it, I was absolutely shocked to see my roommate, teammate, and friend Braedon Killion. Huge shout out to him for coming out to support, it was awesome to have someone from the team at the race.
Friday Morning the nerves started to settle in as it was now race day. I looked at my phone and saw several text messages from family, friends, coaches, and others which were really awesome and encouraging to see. After getting everything packed, we left the hotel around 7 AM to get to the course. The conditions were pretty similar to a few days earlier when we were there. The cold and muddy conditions were exactly what I’ve been used to racing and running in (thanks to the Midwest weather) so I felt right at home.
Being an individual was a bit intimidating when standing by teams at the starting line, but I knew my guys were back home at Cedarville watching so that intimidation quickly went away. After some final advice from Coach, it was time to toe the line. The race got out very hard and I found myself pretty far back from where I needed to be, but my game plan was to be patient and to be ready to make a big move later in the race.
Throughout the 10K race I heard many voices yelling out what place I was in and how far back I was from where I needed to be. Parents from the Women’s team, my parents, Coach O, and even some Cedarville XC Alumni that came all played a huge part in helping me get to where I needed to be by the end of the race. At the start of the race I was told I was in 136th place, a few miles into the race I heard 80th place, four miles in I heard 60th...All I knew was that I was headed in the right direction. By mile six I found myself in the Top 40 and never looked back! I finished the race in 37th place which was right where I hoped to be.
Being an NCAA All-American is a huge honor and was a huge goal of mine since transferring to Cedarville. There have been two other NCAA All-Americans in Cedarville history: Ben Tuttle and Dan Michalski...It is a huge honor to have my name on that list with them. It took a while for it to settle into my mind and once it did there were a few tears shed. Thinking about the long process leading up to that one moment just put everything into perspective. Soon after I was able to call some of my teammates to celebrate and talk about the race with them! It was really mind blowing to see everyone’s support on social media, I’m so thankful and appreciative to everyone
who supported and cheered me on at Nationals.
After the conclusion of my race I was able to watch and cheer on the Women’s team who got an all-time best 7th in the nation! It was fun to experience such an amazing day with them. We’ll never forget December 2nd, 2022!
The trip back to Ohio was tiring but I really enjoyed hanging out with Coach O along the way. We took an overnight ‘red eye’ flight so we could be home for the weekend. To stay awake we made multiple coffee stops to get us through the late night and early morning. I am very thankful for all of the memories made on this successful “business trip” across the country.
Well I guess this is the end. I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to read about our season. Some really great memories were made this year thanks to all of the amazing people that I have previously talked about.
I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to be able to share our season with you all.
God Bless!
November 28, 2022
Where did the season go?
It seems like just yesterday I was writing about the first meet of the season at Wright State University. Back then it was 80, sunny, and way too early to even begin to think about the end of the cross country season that has quickly creeped up on us.
Next up we hosted the All-Ohio Championships under the lights on a beautiful fall September evening which was a huge success and a very memorable night for a lot of runners competing as well as the spectators watching.
Three weeks after All-Ohio we traveled to University of Wisconsin-Parkside for our next meet. Although we got caught up in some traffic jams and didn’t have the greatest of days on the course, that didn’t stop us from having a great time with one another and praising God for the opportunities that He had given us up to that point.
A week later we were able to make the short trip over to Wilmington College to watch some of our teammates compete. This was enjoyable for some of the guys like myself that weren’t competing to finally get the chance to cheer on and support our friends that we are usually racing with. The guys competing in the meet did an excellent job by placing 2nd out of 23 teams!
Following Wilmington we traveled to Alabama-Huntsville where we got to enjoy some southern hospitality and avoided the midwest winter weather for the weekend. What I remember most about the long road trips with the team isn’t the running part but the time we get to spend together leading up to and after the races. This was our last regular season meet before entering the postseason.
The G-MAC Championships would come next. We prepared well and went into the race ready to make some noise. We competed with some really good teams and finished third in the G-MAC. This was the last race for a few of the guys. Abram Enns, Adam Klauck, Trevor Orchard, and Trevor Cross. Those guys mean so much to our program but more importantly they are all very good teammates and I’m thankful to be able to call them brothers in Christ.
After the conference championship it was time to get ready for the biggest meet of the year, the regional championship. Only ten participants from each team are allowed to compete in the regional meet. Even though we had to limit our roster, that didn’t stop our teammates from coming in to practice every day to train with us which was a huge help and just one of many reasons why we have such a special group of guys.
Following a solid week of practice it was finally time to head to Kenosha, Wisconsin for the most important race of the season. We departed on Thursday morning for the Saturday morning race giving us two days to acclimate and prepare in Wisconsin. The weather conditions were pretty close to what we expected to see. The course consisted of mud, snow, and a brutal wind chill. We believed that the conditions were a bit of an advantage for our group of guys because most of us are used to running in that type of weather. Friday was our pre-meet on the course and our last chance to look at the course before race day. Following the pre-meet we then relaxed, had some team interviews, and that evening got some above average dinner. It’s important that I note that our last big meal Friday night came from none other than the OG (
Olive Garden) per usual. Back at the hotel we had our team meeting and went to bed full of carbs, ready to compete the next morning.
Saturday morning’s weather was pretty similar to the previous days; Cold, windy, and a nice layer of frozen snow covering some of the cross country course. With regionals being a pretty important meet, the NCAA officials were a bit more strict with what we could wear under our uniforms. Before warming up, our seven guys all checked in with the officials to ensure that we were all wearing acceptable attire. After checking in by the warm/heated officials tent, we took our time walking back outside so we could hang around the warm heaters as long as possible. After getting our final instructions it was time to take our warmups off.
Standing in the 20 degree weather with a 20 mph wind didn’t feel the most comfortable but before we could think about it, the gun went off and it was time to roll. With this race being a 10K, some people strategize differently by going slower in the beginning to save some energy for later in the race but others just race it like any other race. Being in a race with so many people it’s hard to see where your teammates are and how they’re doing. All we could do is run hard for each other and live with the results. The 6.21 mile race consisted of many wooded areas and a big open stretch with a decent sized hill that the competitors would run up twice. While the course was tough, it was manageable in large part to the awesome support cast from teammates, alumni, parents, and everyone else that took the time to come cheer us on. We are very grateful and thankful to have such a great group of people surrounding our program.
When the race was all said and done we came up just short of our big team goal of qualifying for the national championship. However, our team doesn’t put our hope and trust in cross country, we put our hope and trust in the Lord. We gathered around to pray with other teams and gave thanks to Him.
Results for the squad: Evan Leist (30:53 / 4th), Cooper Peterson (31:48 / 21st), Isaiah Kelly (32:27 / 52nd), Ramen Felumlee (32:43 / 61st), Ethan Wallis (33:00 / 74th), Aidan Peterson (33:10 / 85th), and Trevor Cross (34:30 / 142nd).
Individually, I was able to auto qualify for the National meet this week in Seattle, Washington. While I wish my team was able to come with me, I am going to do my best to represent my team to the best of my ability. I’m looking forward to updating you guys next week with the results!
Thanks for reading, and Go Jackets!
November 8, 2022
It’s officially championship season!
Over the weekend we traveled to Findlay, Ohio to compete in the G-MAC Championship meet. Before diving into the actual race I want to tell you a little bit about our trip outside of racing. Friday at noon both the men’s and women’s team loaded the charter bus for our two hour trip to Hillcrest Golf Club where our conference race would take place on Saturday morning. You might wonder, what does a cross country team do on a two hour bus ride? The answer to that question is pretty easy to guess: we watch other races and look at results from other meets across the country. So there you have it, scouting and watching film for cross country is a real thing. We also had the great privilege of listening to the women’s team sing at the top of their lungs for most of the two hours.
We arrived at the course around 2 p.m. on the beautiful Friday afternoon. Seeing the nice set up for the event as we arrived really made it feel like it was time for championship season. As we jogged our pre-meet we quickly realized that the course had little to no elevation gain which usually means fast times on race day. However, there was an x-factor and that factor was going to be the heavy wind gusts.
After leaving the course we went straight to the hotel. At the hotel we welcomed ourselves to the hotel lobby computers for some computer games to pass the time while others played cards across the hall. For dinner we had
Olive Garden catered to our hotel because as any runner would know, there is nothing better than some pasta and salad before a big race! After dinner we had a team meeting to race prep and to take a moment to recap our season up to this point. All our hard work has led us to this point in the season.
Thankfully our race was at 11:30 a.m. which gave us a chance to sleep in a little bit, get a good breakfast, and for some of us a chance to relax and open up our Bibles before preparing for the race. As we arrived at the course on Saturday morning it was evident that the wind was going to indeed be a huge factor in the midst of our race. As we warmed up for our race we were able to watch the women’s team dominate and win their side of the conference meet.
About ten minutes prior to our race we got together in a circle and prayed as a team before doing some last minute run outs before the gun went off. As we started the race, the strategy from the front of the pack was clear...No one wanted to lead so that they didn’t have to face the heavy winds. Eventually around the halfway mark of the race the race started to spread out and each person was faced with the same windy conditions. As a team we fought hard for each other and left everything on the course. At the finish line it was evident that we gave it our all and did the best we could. For some of our team this was the last time that they would put on a Cedarville jersey on a cross country course. There were a lot of mixed emotions in that moment realizing that was the last time we would go to battle with some of our teammates. A few minutes after the race we gathered around each other and formed a prayer circle and invited guys from different teams to join. As we concluded our prayer we all came together celebrating each other’s races. As a team we came up short of some of our goals for the day but we still left thankful for the opportunity to race for God’s glory.
Individually for the Jackets:
Evan Leist was 5th covering the 8K course in (24:40), Isaiah Kelly was 13th in (25:17), Cooper Peterson 14th (25:19), Aidan Peterson 25th (25:46), Trevor Cross 26th (25:48), Ramen Felumlee 35th (26:07) and Ethan Wallis 38th (26:10)
Next on the list is the NCAA II Midwest Region meet which will take place on November 19th at Wisconsin-Parkside.
October 25, 2022
The Cedarville XC team spent this year’s Fall “break” in Alabama!
Last Friday morning started early for the boys with a 7 a.m. departure time en route to Huntsville, Alabama. Taking a 12 passenger van with 12 passengers isn’t so bad on a seven-hour journey to a meet, it’s the seven-hour journey back that catches up with you.
The trip down was smooth sailing thanks to some good backseat drivers navigating us around traffic so that we could arrive at the course on time. We arrived at the course around 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon. We did some stretching and went to the starting line to start our pre-meet. The course was one of the nicest a lot of us have run on thanks to the highly renovated facility that was well marked with great footing and in a beautiful area of northern Alabama. Having a pre- meet and shaking out the legs after a long trip is crucial when it comes to race day. Not only did the eleven Cedarville guys get a good pre-meet in, Coach Orchard also got his miles in on the course in preparation for Saturday mornings’ race.
After leaving the course for the night, we checked into the hotel and got ready for dinner.
Carrabba’s was on the dinner agenda for the evening and I must say, the food was exceptional. (I’d highly recommend it to anyone who likes Italian food) It’s not a coincidence that the man that ate the most food at
Carrabba’s (Isaiah Kelly) performed the best at Saturday mornings’ race. Before leaving the restaurant, we carried on the tradition of singing Happy Birthday to Coach O as we do every time we go out to eat before a meet.
After arriving back at the hotel we gathered together for a team meeting to talk about race preparation and schedule for the next day. This race was different than most with the starting time of the race being at 8 a.m. While that doesn’t sound super early, it is tough for runners to sleep at night and go straight into an early morning run, especially a race. Our goal was to be up by 5 a.m. so that we could all get acclimated to the day. After a heavy dinner the night before, it is also difficult to decide what to eat that early in the morning and that close to race time. Some guys ate more than others, this is mostly a preference thing where everyone is different when it comes to a pre-race meal.
We arrived at the course around 6:30 a.m. and began to warm up at 7 a.m. Saturday morning was beautiful and perfect for racing. The race consisted of over 450 guys and 45 teams. We had our game plan and knew what we wanted to accomplish. Although the plan didn’t exactly work the way we wanted it to, there were still some really solid individual performances with many personal bests. As a team we finished 10th out of 45 teams. There were a few of those nine teams in front of us that we wanted to beat but the good news is that there is still plenty of season left to work and improve to put ourselves in a position to contend. Individually we had Isaiah Kelly finish in 25th place with a great time of 24:09 for the 8K course, I was next in 37th place with a time of 24:21, Cooper Peterson was 85th in 24:55, Trevor Cross stepped up and had a great day coming in 94th in 25:02, and rounding out our Top 5 was Ethan Wallis in 130th in a time of 25:22. Coming in the very important 6th and 7th spots were Joshua George (25:30, 143rd) and Aidan Peterson (25:32, 148th)
As we look back and think about our race, we saw some really good things. Next on our agenda is for our whole team to put together a good race on the same day so that we can maximize our potential. Our next race will be in two weeks at the University of Findlay where we will compete in the G-MAC Championship.
October 12, 2022
This past weekend the Jackets were back in action!
We took a road trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin to compete in the Wisconsin-Parkside Invitational (Lucian Rosa Invitational). Some may ask, “Why would you drive seven hours for such a short race?” Well the answer to that question is literally the name of our sport “Cross Country” so it makes sense if you think about it.
Our road trip began at 7 a.m. on Friday morning. The first few hours were pretty quiet as everyone caught up on sleep. This wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic driving from Coach Orchard. After the long hiatus, we woke up realizing that we were in a huge traffic jam. This wasn’t a big problem because some of the guys came prepared with their Rubik’s cubes. It is important to note that Kolson Kytta can solve the cube in less than 10 seconds. (If anyone wants to challenge him let me know) Once we got out of the jam it was pretty much smooth sailing from there, but our seven hour planned trip turned out to be 12. As we arrived at the course on Friday night for our pre-meet, the sun started to set and the temperature was in the low 40's. The course was beautiful with a lot of it being rolling hills in the woods.
For dinner we went to Noodles and Company where we loaded up on carbs and had some fun with the high tech beverage machine. (You just had to be there to get the joke) Once we arrived at the hotel, we had a team meeting, prayer, and eventually went to bed.
After what seemed like a very short night, it was race day! With our race being at 10:45 a.m. it was difficult to gauge when and how much to eat in order to feel good at race time. When we got to the course, we passed out bib numbers, and did our 2-4 mile warmups while the girls once again set the tone by winning the team race by a landslide.
Coach gave us some last minute advice before we headed over to the starting line. The referee shot the gun and we were off. The first half mile was all up a hill and our team attacked it well which put us in good position at the beginning of the five mile race. For me, it was nice to have Isaiah Kelly back in the lead group so that we could work together and help each other out for some of the race.
As I mentioned earlier, the course had its ups and downs (literally). I would say it was the same for our team, there were some guys that really stepped up for us while others didn’t have a great race and that is why the team aspect is so important. After the race we got together with some of the opposing teams to thank God for our abilities and for sending His son to die for our sins. It is such a blessing to be able to use our platforms as athletes to spread the message of the gospel.
Individually our Top 7 scorers: I was 3rd overall, Isaiah Kelly was 11th, Cooper Peterson 16th, the sophomore duo of Ethan Wallis and Joshua George were 24th and 30th, freshman J.J. Varner was 39th, and rounding out the Top 7 was Gunner Grass who finished 43rd.
The long ride back to the ‘ville was a long one but another chance for us to spend quality time together as a team which this time consisted of myself beating everyone in a competitive
game of risk. Overall this was a really fun trip and we’re looking forward to the next few weeks of racing. Thanks for reading!
October 4, 2022
For the second straight week the men’s cross country team is off from competition. If there was ver a good time to not be racing it would be these last two weeks. Many of us have battled sickness and others have battled injuries within that time span. However, we are starting to get back in the swing of things and turning the corner as we look forward to our next race which will take place in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Saturday, October 8th.
Despite the adversity over the past few weeks, there were also some really encouraging and positive moments. Last week Coach Orchard brought in guest speaker Morris Michalski from Athletes in Action. Mr. Michalski has a very impressive record as a Chaplain/Life Coach. On that resume’ includes being involved with a combined seven Olympic Games/World Cups as well as encountering and engaging with every franchise in the NBA (National Basketball Association). What is even more impressive than the resume’ is how he is able to use his God given talent to reach so many lives and teach the good news of Jesus Christ in so many different environments. During our short time with Mr. Michalski, he encouraged us with I Corinthians 16:13. We talked about loving one another and ways that we can become closer as a team and a body of believers.
One reason for the two week break from racing is so that we could be better prepared for the important schedule coming our way. Our upcoming race in Kenosha is important because we will be returning to that same course next month for our regional meet for a chance at qualifying for the National Meet in the state of Washington. Being familiar and seeing a cross country course can be a huge advantage. Whether it’s knowing where the hills are, seeing the footing of the course, weather conditions, etc. Saturday will also give us an opportunity to compete against some of the teams that we haven’t seen yet this year so we will be able to see how we stack up with them early on in the season.
Until next week, thanks for reading! Go Jackets!
September 21, 2022
Living up to the hype!
Last Friday night was an absolute blast.
The anticipation around the first ever All-Ohio night meet continued to grow throughout all of last week. However, the team was focused on the week of training in preparation for the big night...
Having practice in the afternoon heat made the night race sound even sweeter. Throughout the last few weeks, my roommate Braedon Killion had been using his camera skills to put together a sweet hype video for our meet. After hours of editing his video made it big time and was played at chapel on Friday morning all while Dr. White sported one of our team bucket hats on the stage.
With the meet being at night, it was important to treat the day hours like any other and focus on school, staying hydrated, eating good food, and most importantly for me, taking a long nap. After the long day, it was time to head over to the course. While walking over to the course, it was really exciting to see all the lights and an already big crowd as the sun was starting to set. Prior to our race, we watched the women's team dominate with a near perfect score by going 1,2,3,4, and 7.
As the gun went off for our race, it was evident that guys were ready to run fast. The adrenaline really starts to kick in when you start a race with over 400 men all running in the same direction, especially in the dark. The crowd was lined up throughout the first half mile of the course. With most people cheering it was hard to pick up what anyone was saying but one thing's for sure, the Cedarville community was there cheering us on!
After the loud start we ran towards the quiet and somewhat dark part of the course where all you could hear was a stampede of feet hitting the ground. After the first mile, the race started to spread out a bit and it became somewhat of a normal race until the loud finish on the last straight stretch towards the finish line.
Friday night was truly a great experience and a night that many will remember for a long time. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it possible.
Our Top 7 finishers looked a little bit different from our last meet at Wright State. I finished 6th overall with a time of 24:33, Cooper Peterson was 10th running 24:41, Ethan Wallis was 25th in 25:12, Freshman J.J. Varner was 45th in 25:31, and Trevor Cross was 65th with a time of 26:00. Aidan Peterson and Braedon Killion finished 6th and 7th on the team running 26:02 and 26:04 respectively.
The men's XC team has a little break from racing action now with a two week break. Our next meet will be in Kenosha, Wisconsin on October 8th.
September 13, 2022
The wait is finally over!
It's time for the race we’ve all been waiting for...All-Ohio! There are so many reasons why this is such a big meet for us. All-Ohio is a meet that every team in Ohio is invited to compete in throughout all divisions including NAIA schools. We get the privilege of hosting this competition on a yearly basis on our beautiful Elvin R. King Cross Country Course which is located across the street of our campus. Throughout the years, the race has taken place on Friday afternoon where it seems to almost always be extremely hot and grueling conditions for a five mile race. This year we decided to try something new! The start time for this year's race will be at 9:10 p.m. under the lights!
There are many different people that helped make this possible, starting with our coaches and University. The atmosphere is going to be incredible and we have high hopes of bringing in a huge crowd starting with support from our classmates and student body. Our team is looking strong and we are ready to compete to the best of our abilities for each other as a team and most importantly, for God’s glory. We hope to see you out at the course on Friday night!
Last week was a week off from racing and a week full of training. Although we love to compete, sometimes it’s nice to have an off week to recover, get in some good workouts, and focus on our studies. Many times throughout the week we are unable to practice together as a team because of labs and classes that our teammates have during our practice time. Monday we were able to head to the track for a workout with mostly everyone which is super helpful when it comes to trying to work together to hit certain times. While running tough workouts it is super encouraging to have teammates there working together to simulate and practice what we want to accomplish during our races.
Last Wednesday night we were able to have a team Bible study where we dove into the Word and got to have a great discussion about who we run and ultimately live for. While we strive to do good on the course, our main goal is to please and worship God through our running. We believe that with success comes the opportunity to reach other teams that we compete against and teach them about the gospel.
September 6, 2022
And just like that, race one is complete!
Last Friday we competed at the Mike Baumer Classic at Wright State University. We showed up realizing that the meet would consist of more teams than last year which was a pleasant surprise because that meant more competition. Among those teams were Ohio State, Wright State, Dayton, and Marshall. The big difference of this race was that we only raced five kilometers compared to our normal distance of eight kilometers. This gave us a chance to get that “race feeling” before we get to the bigger meets and also gives the freshmen a chance to get acclimated to college cross country.
Friday after class at 3:30 p.m. it was time to load the buses for our first meet of the year. Most of the team was on time but we always have a few stragglers showing up a few minutes late. Luckily for them, this time we didn’t leave them behind. Once we loaded up and got on the bus it was time to get focused for the race. We made the short 30 minute drive to Fairborn, Ohio and arrived at Fairborn Community Park around 4 p.m. where our race would take place. Stepping off the bus was the moment that it finally hit me that it was race day!
At 5 p.m. It was time to warm up, with the race only being 5K we were able to jog the entire course to see exactly what we would be running during the race. During the warm up we felt the sun beating down and knew that it would be a hot and humid race but that was nothing out of the ordinary for us. After the warm up we put on our racing gear, prayed as a team with our team chaplain, and walked over to the starting line. Before long, the referee blew his whistle and shot the gun signaling the beginning of the race.
Most of the 174 runners competing in the race got out very fast on the narrow course so we all really had to watch where we were stepping for the first few minutes of the race. As I started to move past some of the crowd it was encouraging to see so many yellow jerseys towards the front of the pack. Like last year at the Wright State meet, we put seven guys under 16 minutes which is a good sign early on in the season.
In the end, I crossed the line coming in 7th place with a time of 15:15 and coming in right behind me were two of my teammates Isaiah (9th) and Cooper (10th), next to cross the line for the team was Ethan who came in 24th and rounding out our Top 5 was Aidan who finished 42nd. There were many PR’s and great performances throughout the team which speaks to the depth we have on our roster. As a team we came in 3rd place behind Ohio State and only four points shy of Dayton. This was a great opening meet and provides good momentum going into our next race.
Next on the schedule we have the All-Ohio meet on our home course which will take place on Friday, September 16th at 9 p.m. under the lights! We would love to have a huge crowd there as we look to make some noise against the best teams in Ohio.
I’m looking forward to updating you next week as we prepare.
#AllForTheGloryOfGod
August 31, 2022
Hello, My name is Evan Leist and I am a senior Business Management major from Beaver, Ohio. This upcoming season will be my second year running for CU. Prior to Cedarville I competed for Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky.
Transferring to Cedarville last year was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a talented and well rounded team. As I was reading some of the previous blogs from last year they were a sweet reminder of how much fun we had last year and how much we were able to accomplish as a team. That is one of the many reasons that I am so excited to document and share some of the key moments with you throughout the 2022 season.
Before diving into the upcoming season I would first like to reflect on our 2021 season. Going into the season we had high expectations and set goals that only our team thought were realistic. In order to accomplish those goals we knew that we were going to have to work hard each and every day. It was special to see how every single guy bought into what we wanted to accomplish and by doing so it seemed to grow us closer together as a team both on and off the course. Throughout the season we had our share of up and down moments but we never lost hope and relied on each other to stay positive and confident. Ultimately our hard work paid off and we were able to accomplish our dream goal for the season which was to make it to the NCAA National Championship. With that being said, a lot of our success was thanks to our seniors. “Chad”, Russell, Jake, and Collin thank you for setting a great example and for setting the tone for this upcoming season.
It’s so exciting to think our first meet of the season is just a few days away! Unlike most sports, we don’t really have an off season which means we are constantly training in the summer months eager to get back into the racing season. Throughout the summer we go our separate ways but hold each other accountable making sure everyone is motivated so that when we arrive back on campus we’re in shape and ready to roll. Although we lost four seniors, we believe that there are many guys capable and ready to fill in those gaps to put us right back in the same category as last season. This year we added 10 freshmen to the roster putting us at a total of 29 guys on this years squad.
Our first test of the season will be Friday, September 2nd at Wright State University. I look forward to updating you next week on how it goes!
Evan Leist is a senior from Beaver, Ohio. He is in his second year with the Yellow Jackets as a business management major.
