The Oxford High School cross country team has started preparation for the upcoming season this fall. Coach Chris Patton is leading practices and planning workouts as runners get ready for the season.
“My goal this season, number one, is to make sure I keep everybody healthy,” Patton said. “Number two is to improve upon what we did last year, with that being the individuals improving from last year, and improving our overall finish.”
To reach those goals, Patton creates training plans that fit each runner. Younger athletes focus on building their mileage, while older runners work more on their pace.
“Basically, one thing I talk to them about is how much mileage they are doing every week,” Patton said. “We have to make sure that, you know, if you are a sophomore, you are not doing the same mileage as a senior.”
Senior Maggie Irwin has been one of the teams leaders over the past few years. There is a lot of anticipation for her final cross-country season of high school.
“I am very excited because it is my senior year, obviously,” Irwin said. “But also, I am nervous because I was ranked fourth in the state going into this season, so I feel like there is a lot of pressure to perform at a pretty high level.”
Irwin has worked hard in the offseason to get ready. She added more long runs into her training and has focused on eating the right meals before meets.
“I eat a lot of pasta and carb load, and we do a lot of intense morning practices and distance running,” Irwin said. “Mentally, I just put myself in the position of the race, reminding myself I have done the work and I can perform at my best.”
Junior Cole Milner looks forward to the challenge of racing tough competition and the fun of running with his teammates.
“I would say the best part about being on the team is the fellowship,” Milner said. “Being able to have that community allows for fun practices and fun racing.”
Milner also said the friendships on the team are one of the best parts of running cross country. He believes that training alongside teammates who share the same goals makes the sport even more rewarding.
“Just being with people that have the same interests as me, people that want to put in just as much work as I do,” Milner said.
As the season approaches, the runners are also excited about the courses they will run. Milner said he has two meets that stand out as favorites.
“I love Jesse Owens,” Milner said. ”I’m really excited for that meet, and I love the Tupelo course. Jesse Owens and the atmosphere there is fantastic. There are tons of people cheering. It’s a great course. Tupelo is just plain and simple, a super fast course.”
Coach Patton believes the team’s biggest challenge will be the their confidence. He beleives confidence will play a key role in the success of the team this season.
“I’m not worried about big competition. The biggest challenge this year is probably going to be ourselves,” Patton said. “If we don’t believe in ourselves, we kind of shoot ourselves in the foot a little bit. I think we just have to believe in ourselves, take risks, and not be afraid to embrace the pain that comes with running hard and racing fast.”
