The Illinois HS XC Journal - August 28, 2020

 

Blog #2: Not Your Typical Cross Country Season

 

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

 

I had driven out to Rockford to go to a cross country meet on Monday afternoon. I had to turn around to head home after the meet was cancelled due to temperatures at 95 degrees. After walking through my door to my home, I opened my computer, sat down, and closed my eyes for just a minute.

 

One hour later, I woke up and looked at Twitter. The IHSA had held their monthly Board of Directors meeting in which they approved a modified post season for fall sports.

 

I started reading the IHSA press release.

 

All I could think was “Uh-oh.”

 

We found out at the end of July how the Illinois High School Cross-Country season would begin. On August 24, we learned how it would end: without a state meet.

 

I figured this is how it would turn out. It just made sense. The end of season designated by the IHSA for Cross Country was on October 24. I noticed that the next season of sports would start on November 13 when this was first announced. Maybe the Board of Directors would be flexible and allow a sectional and a state meet.

 

I was just wishful thinking on my part. That was one side of my brain hoping that something could happen. The practical side of my brain kept nudging at my common sense.

 

COVID-19 levels in most parts of the state have not gone down. In fact, in most areas, the level of positive tests have gone up in the last seven days. 9 of the 11 regions are above 5% positivity. 15 days before that it was half the regions were near 4%.

 

The trend is climbing with this virus. It is hard to imagine at this point of the average going down. It would need to and then sustain that lower average to consider a state competition.

 

When I have talked to coaches, I thought the IHSA had a good number of plans in running a state meet in a pandemic. The one thing that would cancel a possibility of a state meet is that the number were rising.

 

That is what happened here. I can understand why.

 

This fall will be different than in other years. Detweiller Park will be empty in November. We will not have the huge meets that we look forward to every weekend. Let that go right now. It just will not happen. Concentrate on the now, not what could have been.

 

I am sure on the first Saturday where there was supposed to be a huge meet, someone will mention it on Twitter. I will read that post and throw up in my oatmeal.

 

Let us rejoice in the fact that we have a season.

 

Someone on Twitter on that Monday night that the season was ending too early. My comment was maybe you would want how we ended the end of May, with no track season? They agreed.

 

There have been some positive comments from coaches which I have enjoyed. There have been some comments by high school runners appreciative that they have a season in which to run in.

 

In some ways, the high school kids are acting more adult than some of the adults ae behaving.

 

Towards the end of the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, Harrison Ford is hanging by his fingertips trying to reach an out of reach Holy Grail. Indiana Jones tells his father,” I can get it. I can almost reach it. His father, played by Sean Connery, replies, “Indiana…let it go.”

 

We are hoping for the BIG meet, the fairytale ending that we all want. It is just not going to happen this year. Things are going to be different.

 

We will not have a state meet. At the same time, New York and New Jersey will not get to have their fairytale endings with no state meets to end their season. Maryland had their season cancelled. Nevada had their season moved to March but will not have a state cross country meet to end it all. It is not just Illinois that will not have the conclusion we are used to.

 

Indiana has huge Pre-State Invitational at the Lavern Gibson Championship XC Course on Labor Day weekend. They announced on August 27: “To help ensure the student athletes safety there will be NO SPECTATORS allowed at the Terre Haute Savings Bank Pre-State Invitational hosted by Terre Haute North on September 5th due to the large number of competitors.”

 

Then, a parent replied. It was not the reply I was expecting:

 

“I love watching my kids compete in sports. But if measures like these make it more likely that they have a season, I will gladly sit home.”

 

After the IHSA made their announcement, I have received a number of messages, emails on how we could have a state meet…or a way to end to crown a winner.

 

In some manners of life, sometimes a winner is the person that does not finish first. I will be going to my first meet in this new era of racing. My coach at North Central College, Al Carius, would always tell us “Run for Fun and Personal Bests”. There were many times that I did not win. But after a race, I felt great knowing that I had run faster than I ever had.

 

There are ways to find some kind of closure for the student/athletes.

 

-       How about have a 5000-meter time trial with every team in the state, turn them in and decide who the top team is?

 

-       Hoka One One has brought back their Postal Nationals for 3200-meters for this fall. The results are separated by nation and state. A winner can be determined that way.

 

ShaZam Racing, a timing company released a questionnaire on August 27 on a possibility of holding an alternative state meet. The beginning of their note read as such:

 

“ShaZam Racing is working on plans to host a championship for both middle school and high school XC in Illinois. We are working to have 2 separate sites, 2 separate weekends.  This would be similar to Detweiller at Dark, NXN, Footlocker, etc.  Teams would compete as "Eagle Run Club", RWA, etc.  NOT their team name.  There would be a fee to compete and teams will be invited based on Regional/Individuals (for HS) and Sectional/Individuals (for MS).  We are putting this survey out to get feedback on putting on the championships as well as the best weekend to host.  This is also based on the availability of the properties and to not interfere with current IESA and IHSA events.”

 

There are too many questions that I could suggest. Who qualifies? This is not an invitational meet where anyone can run. How many people would run at one time? If the IDPH qualifies that only 50 runners can run, the meet would not be able run on one day. And the questions just go on and on.

 

What worries me the most are the parents on social media. Their hopes for this are sky high as of today. What happens it this meet does not go off? Then we will see some parents at their best on social media. You know what I mean.

 

Like I said, I hope we can find closure past the regional meets that the IHSA has set up. I would love to be at an alternate state meet.

 

However, this is not your typical cross-country season. It will not end the way we want it. Such is life.

 

One side of my brain is full of hope with a great idea of a race.

 

My other side of my brain is saying “Indiana…let it go.”