Coach Mikes Blog

in Uncategorized by coach mike on 28 Nov 2008

I’m sitting in the living room of my daughter and son-in-laws home in Hoboken, NJ.  Had a great Thanksgiving here. we baked a turkey, made dressing, Grandma Mimi’s famous home made rolls. Ryan made home made mash potatoes.  Had a great time day. Wednesday night we went over to the city to see the balloons being blow up, couldn’t get to close. Too many people. The balloons I’m talking about are the ones used in the Macy day parade on Thursday.  We then had supper at Artie’s Deli, food was different but my stuffed cabbage rolls were very good.  I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving, most of us of have a lot to be thankful for!  We are going to head back into New York City later, the girls want to do some Black Friday shopping. I can hardly wait to fight the crowds. Everybody needs to see the Big Apple, people and more people. Big buildings, all kinds of places to eat, shop and play. Won’t be long and track pre season will be starting, could be a big year!

in Uncategorized by coach mike on 19 Nov 2008

Boys class 2a qualifying standards — 2008-09 

QUALIFYING STANDARDS
All athletes who equal or exceed these standards in the Sectional Meets qualify automatically for the State Final Meet. Qualifying standards shown in bold are new for this year. Note: Field events are listed in English measurements.

Class 2A Boys

in Uncategorized by coach mike on 14 Nov 2008

The Illinois Valley Striders  web site has the splits from the state race  on their  site.  Also on the IHSA web site the VIP photography  has several  hundred pictures  of from the state meet, that can be ordered.

in meets by coach mike on 09 Nov 2008

Not quite sure what to say. Its almost like a dream. Already seems like a long time ago. We left around 9 am Friday November 7th, but we really started the journey long before. For these men and boys, the journey started years ago. When they first decided to be racers. I do know some of their back grounds, the guys from Selmaville could of started in 3rd or 4th grade. Jordan waited until 8th grade I think? Not sure of some of the rest. Maybe they were just looking for something to do, something to be a part of. But this groups real journey started last fall, the fall of 2007. The launch sight was Centralia Foundation Park. I still remember the looks, the eyes toward the ground. I still remember my misty eyes that day. Toughest part of a coach is telling your team the season is over, over to soon. Unlike most sports, you know, you can see the score board, you know the numbers. But not cross country. Not when its close, when you are on that bubble, floating around waiting to hear the numbers. That day, I needed to tell my guys, I knew that we were close, but I knew not close enough. Also there was the issue of my be  Jordan making it out as an individual, I also knew that had not happen. So as I met the guys on their “cool down”, while there was still hope in their hearts, its was my job to break that bubble and break those young hearts.  Toughest part of being a coach, to some how tell the team, they were not good enough on that day. We had a good strong talk that afternoon, just us, no parents, no friends, just the team in our locker room of trees and leaves. We had only one senior on the team, so there would be time to re group to make a plan, to change, to set our sights on the next season. So though we departed SCHS at 9 am November 7th, our trip really started that Saturday at the end of October in 2007. And what a trip it has been! We won the Murpshysboro Invite, We placed well at Granite City, We won Herrin Invite, 2nd at Mt. Vernon. Olney Invite was another 2nd. These were nice achievements, but  only warm ups  for what we were really looking and  working for.  Our first goals on the schedule was the Apollo Conference Championships, the year before we had stumbled at home, that was not going to happen again. Our goal was to dominate the conference meet, just not to win but as they say “kick butt and take names.”  Not sure we quite dominated but we did easily win, putting 3 guys on the all conference team. The most important thing that happened here was the return of Jacob Kubicki, Jacob had been up and down all season, and finally got back on the up side, finishing 10th. We now also had two top runners in Jordan Jones and Cory Nix! The pieces of the puzzles started to look like they might fit together. Post season was just around the corner, and as a coach I liked what I was seeing. The workouts by the whole team were getting better, I starting to see some focus. As a team we were starting to see the road and could see what was at the end of that road! We were now keying on the regional, Mt. Vernon was the favorite, the race was on their home course, a course we really did like that well. We raced well that day, but I knew still not well enough and I also knew we could be better! We lost to Mt. Vernon that day by 4 points. I don’t think anyone thought we were that close, I knew it close, but as much as we would of loved to take home that IHSA  Regional Championship plaque, we were in search of something bigger!  The way this game is played in post season, is with 5′s. You have to be top 5 to move on, so being 2 at the regional moved us to the next stop. The IHSA sectional at Centralia. Twenty teams from as far north as Springfield, Champaign and Danville, all twenty wanting one of those 5 spots. We weren’t “ranked” in the top 5, the ranking poll had us at 8th maybe, with a good day. Only thing that  pollster didn’t know, was  we had started this journey a long time ago! It had been 10 years since Salem had a team at the state cross country meet and this group of young men had a plan! As the race unfolded, I could tell we were in a good position, Nix and Jones were racing like mad men, Kubicki was hanging on as long as he could, as the calvary  was heading toward him with reinforcements!  Those  reinforcements  were freshman Jacob Heser and crazy guy Thomas Goff, moving as fast as the two of them could. Thomas knew what was at stake, he had been in the battles before, both in cross and track, young Heser had no idea, he was just racing to beat people!  Every good team always has a mix of young and old. Experienced warriors and young guns looking to make a name. This team has had that all year. They have battled both on and off the race courses, this is what has made this team what they are. Warriors! Wildcats! Winners! Different personalities,  some quiet, some loud. Some crazy, some mild. But when it came time to race, they gave all they had, when that gun sounded for the big race.  This Saturday in Centralia was different, there was no cool down, there was only waiting. Waiting is the worse part, not knowing for sure will eat your stomach away, I thought they would never post the numbers! When I saw Mater Dei celebrate, my heart sunk a little, but then I was hearing 3rd, I had never been so happy in my whole life to be 3rd! There was lots of back slapping, hugging, some tears, hand shakes, our journey continued!  So we left Friday November 7th to head north, one of 21 teams to make the trip for our place in on that starting line. That line where so many great runners had stood and waited for that clean start. Where that last Salem team ten years ago had stood. No matter what the out come was, no matter the weather, no matter what disappointments we might have had with our races that day, none of that matters! Just remember the moment when you toed that line in Peoria, that noon on November 8th, 2008, that the  long journey was over for the season of 2008. For the seniors; Jordan Jones, Jacob Kubicki, and Tyler Hopkins, the finish of a high school career, for Cory Nix, Thomas Goff and the rest of the returning crazy crew the start of another journey!  That is if you are willing to test the road!  Thanks for letting me be a part of your journey!

in meets by coach mike on 01 Nov 2008

Wow, I would never dream of a 3rd place finish in this sectional. I watch the race unfold, and knew we had a chance to be one of  the top five teams, but not 3rd!  What a race by the top 5!  Nix you were great from start to finish as were you Jones!  Kubicki you ran a very good first half of the race and then held onto a good 5 spot for us. What can I say about peanut butter cups, Jacob Heser, what a race, what a finish!  Thomas Goff, best race so far, right when we needed it!  You guys pulled together right when we needed to pull together!  How can you tell a Salem Wildcat runner? They are the ones that never quit and never give up. Pride, lots of pride! One more week! Challenge- best finish by boys or girls cross country team at state is 9th! Lets change that! Lets better that!  One other thing, next time you’re in that hall way that has the SCHS Hall of Fame members, check out the banquets, because one day in the future, with a good race at state, your picture might just be on that wall! Thanks for taking me to Peoria one more time!

in meets by coach mike on 01 Nov 2008

Good season, tough season. You showed some pride with your races today. You  Showed me some things we  can build on. Courtney thanks for a good senior year, you were solid from start to finish.  We can rebuild this team and make it better for next year, if you ladies want to do the work and except the challenges.  We  will need to  recruit some  new faces to  add to our team depth, and change some work habits,  but  we have  the  nucleus  of  a good  team  coming back.