Enjoying District Week

As many of you probably already know, I graduated from Upper Dublin High School in 2010 (yes, I'm old) and ran cross country and track and field for them for 4 years. I experienced district one first hand and saw the madness that is the district one meet unfold 4 times, including the 14:47-14:54 Springer v Weller battle when I was running 19:12 as a freshman. It was absurd to me.

When I entered high school, I was the grade immediately behind the best class in UD history. We were 5th at states back to back times (and both times left the meet disappointed), won states in the DMR, won Penn Relays in the DMR and then ran 7:40.0 in the 4x8 at states, a mark which would have been first almost any other year.

We did that with all seniors, so when they graduated in 2009 and the team suddenly became ours it was a learning experience. We struggled at points of the season, but we were determined to try and win our league meet and keep the UD history alive.

It didn't happen. Our 5th man broke his nose about a week out from Suburbans and our 2-3 guys got outkicked by 3 guys the final 200m and our 5th man got outkicked by another 3 and that put us away. That was a heartbreaking moment. Especially because from where I was running in the 4 spot I came down the final hill thinking we had won, unaware of the places changed at the finish in front or behind me until after the race's conclusion.

Me and the seniors ran out to the cornfields and just started breaking things. After seeing what the Seniors had done before us, it was disappointing to come up this short and end the legacy.

But we had one more race at districts. One more chance to redeem ourselves. Honestly it looked like after leagues we were going to be buried at about 20th overall. But we just went out and raced. The first 200m I got a little overexcited and pulled us out quite fast. There are pictures online to prove it. I can still remember when Brad Miles (eventual champ) and Tom Mallon (7th) passed me.

Although it was stupid to go out that hard, we got out in a good position and were able to hold ground over the first mile, which was muddy and slow. Based on my proximity to the leaders I was expecting something around 5 flat, so seeing 5:20 was a bit shocking. I struggled through the second mile and it was clear I wasn't running a PR. But then I heard my coach yelling at me around 1k to go. He told me we were running really well as a team and they needed me to catch a few more guys.

I was really confused because clearly I was not running the time I had hoped for, but my Coach wasn't the kind of guy to BS us. Just the week before he yelled at the crowd because they were pity clapping for one of our runners who had a flare for being over dramatic in his alleged painful running to the finish. So I sprinted home as best I could and ended up at 17:13, slower than I ran at leagues. Surely this wasn't a strong performance, this was a 20th overall team performance.

But when we gathered back at the starting line after the race we realized it was an epicly slow day. 16:02 missed states the year before. This year 16:41 got you in. Pete Schartel ended up coming about 5 seconds away from making states after never running a cross country race in his life the previous year. Fran Ferruzzi was the top freshman in the entire field.

In the end, we found out we were 10th overall at Districts, despite having no individual state qualifiers. We had the best finish of any team that had 0 individual state qualifiers that day. That moment was one of my proudest of high school, and after we heard the good news our top 7 got together to take my favorite picture ever: all 7 of us arm in arm at the starting line at Lehigh. I will have that picture in my home for the rest of my life.

So why tell this story? Nostalgia? Narcissism? Well that's part of it I'm sure, but there is a moral here. Notice that none of us made states that day. Literally none. We were just 10th overall as a team, over 100 points away from state relevance. I ended up 90th, no where near state qualifying and I didn't even PR.

But that was my proudest XC moment. At Districts we talk about all the state qualifiers, they get plenty of well deserved love. But in the packed to the brim District One race, in the grand scheme of things there are a ton more guys left home from Hershey then there are booking hotel rooms. And many of those guys have been working 4 years for this moment, to have a special final race.

And a special race doesn't have to be a win or sub 16 or even a state qualifying race. It can just be about you and your best friends running their guts out, forgetting about times and PRs and just racing for pride, respect and redemption.

There are thousands of stories told during district week. What will be yours?

Happy District week everybody.