Author: Phil Schwan

First School Week – Schedule Update

Phil Schwan 2018, General Info

This Wednesday is the first day of classes for the 2018-2019 school year, and there are some scheduling updates for the Evergreen XC teams.  We’ll be shifting to afternoon practices at 3pm at the High School starting Monday.  We’ve been running in the cooler morning hours the past few weeks, so with highs in the mid-80’s this week it’s all the more important athletes stay well hydrated!

Here is this week’s schedule for HS (MS practices will be a little shorter)

Monday (3p-5p) – Team meeting, long run

Tuesday (3p-4:30p) – Easy recovery run, core work

Wednesday (3p-4:30p) – Track work

Thursday (3p-4:30p) – Tempo run

Friday (3p-4p) – Easy recovery run

(4:15p) – Fall sports athlete dinner

(6:30p) – Meet the Team event at the football stadium. Must be on the field by 6:30. We will wear our gray XC shirts from camp (those who weren’t at camp will get a shirt this week)

(After?) – Discussion of possible team event (movie night, etc.) follow team introductions and possibly part of football scrimmage. Details will be sent out if anything is finalized.

If you have any questions about anything on the schedule, please contact a coach!

 

Practice Schedule Update

Phil Schwan 2018, General Info

20170811_0749421.jpg

With our 2018 Summer Camp wrapped up and the first day of school just 19 days away, it’s time to ramp up the practice schedule to get ready for the full cross country season.  Here is the practice schedule from here on out:

Sun July 29 – 7pm @ Metamora Park

Tue July 31 – 7am @ EHS

Wed Aug 1 to Fri Aug 3 – 7am @ EHS – Mandatory practice for high school (middle school optional but welcome)

Week of Aug 6 – 7am @ EHS – Mandatory practice (HS and MS)

Week of Aug 13 – 3pm @ EHS – Mandatory practice (HS and MS)

We will likely have at least one or two offsite practices during the next couple weeks. Information will be sent out ahead of any such workouts.

Also, there are some additional important dates to note:

Aug 2 – 7:30pm – Fall sports meeting (XC parents meeting immediately following)

Aug 8 – TBD – High school team/individual pictures (MS to be announced at a later time)

We are excited to kick off our official 2018 and build on all the hard work that has been put in over the summer!  If you have any questions, please contact one of the coaches.

 

 

 

2018 Summer Camp Info

Phil Schwan 2018, General Info

2018SummerCamp

Our annual cross country camp will be from July 23 to July 26. High school athletes will be leaving Evergreen High School on July 23 at 7:00 am and will be traveling to Pokagon State Park by bus. We will be returning to the high school around 3:00 pm on July 26. The cost for camp will be $30 per runner. Checks can be made out to Evergreen Cross Country.

The goals for camp include:

  1. To strengthen your relationship with your teammates and coaches.
  2. To establish a foundation of training for the upcoming season.
  3. To learn things you may have not known about yourself.
  4. To both have fun and train in a relaxed environment outside of your home.
  5. To be safe in everything you do.
  6. To set goals for your upcoming season.
  7. To learn to work together as a team.

What to bring to camp:

  • Sleeping bag/pillow
  • Bug spray/sunscreen
  • Toothbrush/toothpaste
  • Shampoo/soap
  • Sandals/flipflops (shower and hanging out)
  • Running Shoes
  • Beach Towel/Bathing Towel
  • Running clothes (x7 runs)
  • Casual clothes (x4 days)
  • Swimsuit
  • Lawn Chair (please put name on it)
  • Flashlight
  • Bicycle (bring to HS)

Paperwork Needed:

*We are in need of at least 3 parent chaperones Primary responsibilities will be to assist with meals and help ensure athletes are safe and accounted for. If you are interested let Coach Hesson or Coach Schwan know. If you are interested in bringing your family to camp, you may call Pokagon at 1-866-622-6746 to reserve a camp spot (coaches can provide our campsites upon request)

Paperwork & camp fee is due by July 19, 2018 to Coach Hesson

Summer Running Info

Phil Schwan 2018, General Info

Summer Running - July 2017

It was great to see so many new and returning faces at our informational meetings these past two weeks!  If you missed the meeting don’t worry…we’ll present a lot of the information here on the website as promised.

Summer running is a very important part of the fall cross country season. As we detail in our Viking XC Four Phase Training Approach, it’s important to build up your endurance with base mileage as it builds the foundation for the more advanced training to come.  It doesn’t have to be fast miles; in fact, we don’t WANT fast miles. Your early summer runs should be at an easy, conversational pace. We also don’t want you starting off with more than you’re ready for. If you’ve never run before or haven’t in awhile, you may start off with just a couple miles. Just be patient and trust the process, and we’ll have you worked up to longer distances before you know it!  Take a few minutes to read through the training link above to better understand why it’s important to take your time and follow the process.

For those who are coming off of track or have been running at least a few days a week, you want to get yourself to the point of running at least five days per week as quickly as possible.  We’ve created a sample training plan to take you from the start of summer runs through to the first meet. Yes, you’ll see some long runs on that plan.  Those long runs in July make a HUGE difference in your performance in September/October, so if you have any questions or concerns please ask a coach for more information.

Our summer runs this year start Sunday June 3rd at 7pm at Lyons Park.  That doesn’t mean you have to wait until June 3rd to start running. The sooner you start getting your body used to running, the better! These are voluntary runs open to anyone, so siblings and parents are more than welcome, and participation does not commit you to running in the fall (though we certainly hope you will!).

Our weekly running schedule for June is as follows:

  • Sundays at 7:00 p.m. at Lyons Park or Coach Schwan’s
  • Tuesday at 9 a.m. at EHS (weight room after)
  • Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at Metamora Community Park

Please make sure you sign up for Remind alerts (text @vikingxc to 81010) as we sometimes have to change locations and you may want to bring a swimsuit and towel for swimming when we run at Coach Schwan’s in Lyons.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Coach Hesson or Coach Schwan. We look forward to seeing you on June 3rd and in the weeks that follow!

2018 XC Info Meetings

Phil Schwan 2018, General Info

SummerRunning
Winded just from running out to the car on a rainy day? Struggling with regret from that massive Easter feast? Anxious to get a head start on your fall sports season? We can help!

Informational meetings for the 2018 Evergreen Cross Country program are coming up! The Middle School meeting will be held on Tuesday April 24th in the MS cafeteria during enrichment, and High School will meet during enrichment on Thursday May 3rd in the HS cafeteria.

This meeting is not a commitment to run cross country in the fall, and anyone interested in running with us over the summer is encouraged to attend. Information for summer running will be handed out as well as summer camp details and a tentative meet schedule for the fall, and we’ll answer any questions you have.

Even if you’ve never run farther than across your front yard, we can help you build endurance and get in better shape. Come run with us…we’d love to have you!

2017 Districts Girls Together

2017 State Championship Info

Phil Schwan 2017, Race Info

Sarah State XC Sign

State Championship Saturday 11/4 (High School Team/Individual Qualifiers)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/ohsaa/cc/2017/

Course maps: State Championship 5K Course

National Trail Raceway
2650 National Road S.W.
Hebron, 43025

6:30am – Recommended latest departure time from Evergreen area
11:00am – Division III High School Girls Championship

Meet Notes – This is it. The cross country season ends with the State Championship meet.  We’re in uncharted territory this year as Sarah is the first Evergreen Cross Country runner to make it to the State Championship.  At the end of the day, this course is five kilometers long…same as Leagues, Districts and Regionals.  No more qualifying, no more counting points. This is a final chance to simply go out and run against the best competitors the State of Ohio has to offer.

The course itself is run at a dragstrip right next to a rural airport, meaning it’s plenty flat.  The times at this meet tend to be very fast (the boys D1 race two years ago saw a state record broken that had stood since 1982), similar to the District course in Findlay.  Even the weather will be similar: cloudy and lower 50’s at race time.  Conditions will be great for a final race to cap of the season!

Spectator Information -There is a ton of great information at the 2017 OHSAA Cross Country Stat Tournament Coverage Page. *Please note the traffic and parking information*

As mentioned, the meet is run at a dragstrip and there is a grandstand for viewing a good portion of the race (including the finish).  There is also a section “inside” the course on the other side of the dragstrip from the grandstand which offers some good viewing. There have been mixed reviews as to how fan friendly the venue is (there is really no access to the entire second mile), but to give you an idea of what the spectator view is from the stands or the one infield portion, you can check out the following YouTube videos from the 2015 State Championship:

Here’s the finish video from last year’s Division III State Championship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI9D6SFFYhI

The FinishTiming website link on the coverage page will actually update in real time with the splits and places of runners, so for those checking in from NW Ohio you can see how the race unfolds from home. There *may* be a live video feed as well…keep an eye on the website.

This will be a fun day, whether you can make the trip down or just watch online.  We’ll follow up with a season recap soon as well as information on the team banquet.  GO VIKINGS!!!

2017 Regional Championship Info

Phil Schwan 2017, Race Info

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Regional Championship Sat. 10/28 (High School Girls only)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/reg/tiffin/2017/g3.htm

Course maps: Tiffin Regional Course

Hedges Boyer Park
491 Coe St.
Tiffin, OH 44883

8:00am – Bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 9:30am)
11:00am – Division III HS girls race
12:15pm – Leave Tiffin
3:30pm – Estimated return time*
* We do plan on stopping for lunch on the way back. Please bring money for food.
Meet Notes – Here we go! We proved that last year was no fluke as we’ve made it again to the Regional meet.  Unlike last year, this course is not new to us this time around. Four of our runners were here for Regionals last year, and six ran in the Tiffin Carnival in September. For every one of our girls, Tiffin was their fastest time until Hudson or Districts, so it’s familiar for being a fast course (if a challenging one). Both Sarah and Kennedy in particular ran very well here in September, and that’s important because both are looking to be the first Viking cross country runners, male or female, to advance to the State Championship.  It’s an exciting time for Viking XC!
The weather will (finally) be something like true XC weather: As of Monday, the projected high temperature was 47F and overcast with a chance of occasional rain.  Fortunately, most of this week looks to be similar weather, meaning we’ll have a chance to acclimate a bit ahead of the race. Runners will be encouraged to dress in layers and to bring extra clothes (especially socks) for after the race. Last year’s race saw temps up around 70F or better, which was enough to see some pollen or leaf mold  in the air that affected a LOT of runners.  This year’s weather is almost ideal for peak performance, and being the first race of the day means we get the course under the best possible conditions.
A important word about uniforms. Per 2017 OHSAA Cross Country Manual, the following rules apply:
  • All school issued uniforms must match (not a problem for us)
  • Any clothing worn under the uniform must be of a solid color
  • If more than one competitor from a team wears clothing under the uniform, it must be the same color as the other team members.  It does not have to be the same brand or length, nor do all competitors have to wear it if one  does or does not choose to.
  • Clothing can have a single logo no more than 2 1/4″ square (ex – they could have the UnderArmor logo, but not a Nike swoosh on the front collar and “NIKE” on the back).
If you have any questions or doubts at all please check with the coaches BEFORE SATURDAY.  There’s enough to be excited about for this meet…uniforms should not be a source of stress that morning.
For those who haven’t seen it, the start and finish area are in a large field circled by trees in the middle of the park, offering a great spectator view of the start and finish.  The course map is linked above and will show that a lot of the race can be viewed from that general area.
A few items to note for spectators:
  • Unlike the carnival, only team buses are allowed to enter the park. Spectator parking can be found here: Team and Spectator Information
  • There is a $7 admission fee (incl. the boys team, even if they ride the team bus)
  • Tiffin is about a 90 minute drive from Evergreen High School, so plan accordingly.
  • Cell coverage is really bad. Calling, texting, tweeting, etc. is a gamble at any given time.
  • Ours is the first race of the day, so it’s a good bet they will start on time
  • As mentioned in the schedule, we do plan on stopping for food on the way back (most likely BW3 in Fremont). Families, friends and fans are welcome to join us, just know it may get a bit crowded with so many people descending on the place during college football game time.
This is what we train for all year.  Our plan is simple: we’re going out there to compete in the toughest Regional in the state, and we plan to match them…stride for stride.

2017 District Meet Info

Phil Schwan 2017, Race Info
Viking XC 2016 Districts
The 2016 Viking XC District teams

District Championshop Sat. 10/21 (High School only)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/ccframe.php?path=./dist/nw/findlay/2017

Course maps: Findlay Owens 5K Course

Owens Community College – Findlay Campus
3200 Bright Road
Findlay, OH 45840

7:45am – Bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 9:00am)
11:00am – Division III HS girls race (District 1)
1:00pm – Division III HS boys race (District 2)
4:00pm – Estimated return time
Meet Notes – Once again we find ourselves looking at the final phase of our season. Both as teams and individuals, it’s place or go home.  This year, they threw us a curve ball by switching from preset districts to a seeding system, much like other sports use.  The coaches all submitted their times for their varsity runners, then voted on seeding for all 30 teams in the district.  The voting results were used to break those 30 teams into two district races.  At the end of the day, it means for a more challenging district for the girls team. The top four teams advance to Regionals, and we are currently seeded fifth.  One of the teams seeded ahead of us hasn’t had a full team run in several weeks due to injury, but team seeded right behind us has a strong team and placed ahead of us last season.  Advancement is earned, not given; we have to run our best to move on, and we don’t get extra help just because we’ve faced adversity this season.
The course is exactly the same as last year: it’s flat and pretty fast.  It’s also fairly spectator friendly, allowing folks the chance to see the start, most of the first mile, and the finish with only a moderate amount of walking.  There are a lot of straightaways, but there are also some sharp turns that keep it interesting.  The weather will be in our favor, with an expected race time temperature in the upper 60s for the girls and lighter winds (compare to a high of 55F and cloudy with 17mph sustained winds last year).
This will be a long day…we leave before 8am and won’t get back until late afternoon, so rest is essential. It was a great atmosphere last year though, and we anticipate the same this year.  We’re there to compete, stride for stride.

 

2017 NWOAL Championship Info

Phil Schwan 2017, Race Info

NWOAL Week

NWOAL League Championship Sat. 10/14 (High School & Middle School)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/nwoal/2017/

Course maps:
High School Course
Middle School Course

Homecoming Park
(Wauseon, OH)

Fan Parking Information

7:45am – Meet at High School
8:00am – Bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 8:30am)
10:00am – HS girls race
10:40am – HS boys race
11:20am – MS girls race
12:00pm – MS boys race
12:30pm – Awards
1:30pm – Estimated return time

Meet Notes – This is it…the league championship meet! For many runners, this is the final race of their season and their chance to put it all on the line competing against their league rivals.  We run in one of the most competitive leagues in the state, so every place in the race counts!  If ever there was a week to do the little things…hydrate well, eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep…this is the week.

This season, we had the opportunity to preview this course not once but twice. We walked/jogged the course a few weeks ago, then ran it in race conditions at the Fulton County Invitational on 9/26.  The latter was HOT…we ran in 90F+ at 5pm with direct sun. The forecast currently calls for partly sunny and high of 80F, but with most races being run before noon it should stay cool enough for the temperature to not be a factor.

Note – Parking is limited!  Please see the parking map linked above and be sure to give yourself enough time to find a spot.

The league meet t-shirts usually look pretty sharp, and this year is no exception:
2017 NWOAL CC Champ A

Shirts are grey and will be available in short sleeve ($12) or long sleeve ($15) – CASH ONLY

2017 Hudson Invitational Info

Phil Schwan 2017, Race Info

2016-hudson-banner

Hudson Invitational Sat. 10/7 (High School & Middle School)

Results available at https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Results/Meet.aspx?Meet=134262

Course maps:
Hudson High School Course
Hudson Middle School Course

Hudson High School
746 N Maple Grove Ave
Hudson, MI 49247

7:00am – MS bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 7:45am)
8:00am – HS bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 8:45am)
9:00am – MS girls race
9:45am – MS boys race
10:30am – HS girls varsity race
11:30am – HS boys varsity race
12:00pm – Open race (JV, coaches, etc.)
12:40pm – Awards ceremony
1:45pm – Estimated return time
Meet Notes – Last year was our first visit to this meet, and the response was overwhelmingly favorable.  Though not quite as big as Tiffin, this is a larger meet with a pretty festive atmosphere (including some music and dancing).  The course itself is pretty decent, with a combination of wooded trails, open grass fields, and a great downhill finish.  From a spectator standpoint, a good portion of the race is viewable from the start/finish area.
Travel time from the high school is approximately 45 minutes. Please be advised they do charge $5 per person for entry so plan accordingly.  We do realize that there’s both a girls’ varsity soccer game and the homecoming dance later this day, but we do ask everyone to stay as long as possible to cheer on your fellow Viking runners, and we remind you to notify us in advance if you will be leaving early.