Three Early Season XC Meets To Look Forward To
This Cross Country season is setting up to be a highly competitive and fun season. Playing a role in this, are a handful of meets with great courses. As championship season meets draw the most attention, we'll look at three early season XC meets to look out for.
The first major meet of the fall season is the Field Run Festival at Deer Creek High School on Saturday, August 24th. This race is a classic in our state, and is hosted by a program that is historically one of the best distance programs we've ever had in Oklahoma. Every year, very fast times are dropped and personal bests are set by many athletes. It is usually a great way to set the tone for the rest of the season, with many of the athletes that place high, placing high at the state meet. Last year, Morgan Kirkland won with a time of 18:18.5 and Graham Mitchell ran 15:06.4. He was followed by many athletes under 16 minutes. This race gives athletes an opportunity to show out early and have a confidence booster. Or on the flip side, struggle to keep up with the fast times and have a better idea of the work they need to put in to be where they want to be come November 2nd.
This year, Deer Creek will not be the favorites at their home meet which makes things more interesting and competitive. Look for most big time programs in our state to perform well at this race.
Shortly after Deer Creek is the Rogers State Night Meet. The series of races will feature an open division for a girls 2 mile, and a boys 5000m with smaller schools. The 5A/6A division will be your standard 5000m. All races are under the lights. Rogers State Coach, Matt Kennedy, has drawn in some big name distance programs such as Jenks, Piedmont, Owasso, and many more. It is clear that this race will be highly competitive and very fast.
The course itself is held on a soccer field. With laps and minimal elevation gain, this course is set up to produce fast times. What makes this meet unique is the under the lights aspect. In our state, this is a rarity in Cross Country. Mustang has their twilight meet, but for Tulsa area schools, this is the closest option. It is great for the sport to have events like this one where athletes are given the chance to have a unique racing experience and have fun.
Another big name meet in our state is the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree. Not only do the defending national champion Oklahoma State men compete in the morning, multiple former Oklahoma high school athletes on the women's side will compete as well. This meet offers high school athletes an opportunity to watch high level racing at the next level, and see a glimpse of what college running is like.
As for the course itself, it is likely the hardest course in Oklahoma. The hills are meant to break an athlete's spirit and the strongest athletes will come out on top. With the weather usually being on the hotter side by the time the high school division goes, it only adds to the difficulty. On a more positive side, the course is in pristine condition, and the spectators are given easy access to different spots on the course. With the meet being ran by a program like Oklahoma State, everything is very organized and well run.
This meet also brings in talent from other states such as Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, and others. It is a chance for Oklahoma athletes to shine against great Oklahoma athletes and go against other state's competition. Prepare for Eskimo Joes to be jam packed.
It is important to remember that early season meets do play a role in how an athlete feels going into championship season, but do not define a season. Performance matters, but make sure positive memories are being made in the process. The Milesplit team will be at all three of the above meets mentioned. We cannot wait to start this season off and are wishing all athletes and coaches the best of luck.
Thanks for reading,
Shawn Rutledge