High school cross-country will have a different look this fall
High school’s cross-country season picks up the pace in earnest this week, and as expected during these pandemic times, with a much different and abbreviated look.
Masks and social distancing of course are required of the athletes and coaches, and the protocols for practices established by the MIAA Rules Modifications and Guidelines are strictly enforced.
The season of competition is limited to a handful of dual meets for each school. Gone in 2020 are the invitational meets during the early and midseason that provided valuable tuneups for the district and All-State meets, which also are out for this year.
“Coach (Michael) O’Malley and I have spent last 6-8 months nearly losing out minds about how we’re going to accomplish any kind of significance to the season in this kind of environment,” longtime Wachusett Regional boys’ cross-country coach Brian Wallace said, while referring to his collaboration with the Mountaineers’ girls coach. “My kids have been good — I think they’re probably doing better than I am. I’m in the wrong age group.”
Wallace, who retired from teaching at Wachusett 10 years ago, is very much physically active and in fine health, but he turns 70 this month, and older citizens have always been a chief concern during these times. “It’s an issue,” he admits.
Nonetheless, Wallace’s enthusiasm for the season hasn’t waned. Wachusett remains on remote learning for now, so athletes are not using locker room facilities for practice. Coaches are responsible for ensuring social distancing is maintained between runners as much as possible. When runners hit the roads, in “pods” of athletes of no more than the same 5-10, the masks remain on.
Runners use their own water bottles and cannot share. Water fountains are used as refill stations only.
The Mountaineers’ four-race season starts Wednesday at Westboro, with their other dual-meet opponents including Algonquin, Leominster and Shrewsbury. There has been discussion of a possible meet of the five-team, geographically based pod at season’s end, but that’s like what this season is — wait and see.
And with the limits of only 10 runners embarking at a time, dual meets will now feature two heats at each. While many meets feature 10 varsity runners for each team, the event will be split into heats of five-and-five, starting a minimum of 3 minutes apart. For proper social distancing, the starting line accommodates 6 feet between runners and teams 14 feet apart. Cones leading up to the finish separate teams to run on their own side of the finish line.
Courses for visiting teams can only be previewed virtually and cannot be sampled during the minutes before a meet.
Pack running, forever an effective approach for team success, is challenged by the following MIAA guideline — “Runners should maintain social distancing throughout the race and not cluster on the course.” (We know teams will find a way).
The masks must be on at the start of the race but can be dropped down from nose and mouth when socially distancing, but athletes must be prepared to restore the mask to proper position at the conclusion of the race.
An added challenge to team scoring is the elimination of numbered tongue depressors handed to finishers to help in tabulation. Many local teams are still figuring out identification logistics such as numbers on uniforms, with possibilities of video at the finish being used to help.
“Something for the kids is better than nothing,” Wallace said. “They’re making the best of it, and I’m pleased with their approach to it. Their attitude about it has been a highlight for me this season.”
“They are so happy to be back together,” coach Nicole Fossas said of her Shepherd Hill girls’ cross-country squad. “They care deeply, they just want to be back together again.”
The Rams, defending CMass Division 1 champions and fifth-place finishers at All-States, are making the most of the 90-minute limit to practices. Like at Wachusett, Shepherd Hill’s school days are being conducted remotely.
“They could be here for three hours,” Fossas said. “They come with their masks on, I squirt all their hands with hand sanitizer. We have some dynamic warmups, go over what we’re doing for the day, and then send them out. There could also be non-running supplemental work, we just fit in what we can. Whatever we don’t finish, they do at home.”
Longer distance runs are reserved for the weekends on their own. Shepherd Hill begins its season Tuesday, and pod dual-meet opponents include Leicester, Tantasqua, Southbridge, Bay Path and North Brookfield.
Fossas and boys’ coach Len Harmon have been developing a 2.5-mile course that covers the fields surrounding Shepherd Hill and Dudley Middle School, as opposed to 2019 3.1-mile route that traveled on area roads.
“We’re troubleshooting as we go along,” Fossas said.
St. John’s High coach Mark Murray is also impressed with the attitude of his runners.
“In many ways, we’re going day by day,” he said. “I’m impressed with how our kids are respectful, they’re following the rules, and they understand that if there’s an outbreak, it can all be over. They’ve been pretty good about that.”
While the vast majority of St. John’s students attending in-house classes (only about 8% remote, according to Murray), the coach must supervise locker room protocols before each practice. There’s an X taped onto each socially distanced locker to be used for changing, and runners are ushered in no more than 16 at a time, the 50% capacity mandated by the MIAA. This year, St. John’s cross-country has 50 runners between varsity and JV, and another 21 are in the middle school program.
Runners must bring their belongings to the outdoor workout, before Murray can lock them up in his car upon the beginning of practice. Students are closely monitored to make sure masks are on, even after practice while walking about the St. John’s campus. Protocols have athletes washing their running gear each night.
“For the most part, the kids have been really, really good,” said Murray, whose team opens Tuesday against defending state champion St. John’s Prep of Danvers. The Pioneers’ pod is that of their new affiliation, the Catholic Conference, and the five-meet schedule is filled out by BC High, Catholic Memorial, Malden Catholic and Xaverian.
Only three years ago, St. John’s of Shrewsbury captured the Division 1 All-State crown, so the season starts with a duel of true cross-country powers. “I’m so pumped,” Murray said. “How great it is going against the state champs.”
Road meets also pose participation challenges. Bus capacities are limited to 25, so schools may have to keep home competitors from sub-varsity heats.
“We’ll figure it out. Everyone’s been very positive,” Murray said. “I’m so excited to have a season, giving the kids a chance. They’re grateful they have a season, and they’re enthusiastic about taking on the Catholic Conference.”
More Miles for Myles
Though it will be run virtually this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Miles for Myles 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run is definitely on, taking place from Oct. 11-18.
For much of the past two decades, the Lunenburg PTO managed the highly successful event and had announced it would be stepping aside before the 2019 race. The Lunenburg Cross-Country and Track & Field Booster organization has stepped up to conduct the event, with Kate and Pete McCarron on board.
The event is dedicated to the son of Kate and Pete — Myles John McCarron, a Lunenburg High student-athlete who died at age 16 while a passenger in a speed-related accident. The Lunenburg Track and Field Association established the race in 2002, and the Lunenburg PTO later took over the event.
Miles for Myles has raised more than $200,000 toward what is now the Mulligan/McCarron Lunenburg Athletic Facility, as well as providing funds for school-wide programs and the No Need to Speed campaign.
Funds raised at this year’s event will support the Lunenburg Cross-Country and Track & Field Boosters, a scholarship for a Lunenburg student-athlete, the Lunenburg Food Pantry and Lunenburg Turkey Hill Family Lions Club.
posted Sunday October 4th