2018 Final Notes and End-of-Season Reflections

This past Saturday marked the official end of the 2018 season with a party at the Hollisters' home. There was lots of delicious food to be eaten, including everything from ribs and salad to s'mores for dessert. Coach Shirley presented the runners with pins and handed out awards, and once again recognized every senior and their contributions to the team throughout the course of their cross-country careers.

The Top Male Runner and Top Female Runner Awards went to Joshua Deitrich ('19) and Hannah Ye ('21). Josh finished first on the team in every race this season except one. These awards were based on the points awarded after each race, and also on the consistency of these runners to finish top on the team. Andrew Tanyous ('22) and Abi Phillips ('21) received the Most Improved Runner Awards and were recognized for their outstanding progress this season. The Coaches' Awards went to Faith Hollister ('22) and Captain Micah Pope ('19) for their significant contributions to the team, either in scoring or in leadership.

As Coach said, while our team did not necessarily meet our goals for the season, we faced a lot of injury and adversity. We worked through it and rested when necessary, and most of us were able to finish out the season strong. We will be sad to see our five amazing seniors go, but we are looking forward to getting some new runners coming up from the middle school team.

Personally, I've enjoyed seeing our team grow stronger this season. I couldn't run most of the season, but I learned a lot just by being out there with the team every day. I am so grateful to the coaches and the team for constant encouragement from the first day of practice when I showed up in a boot to the final race where I was happy to be able to finish. I used to run with the intention of always improving, and I had the feeling of failure whenever a race did not go as expected. I used to get so nervous before every race; always dwelling on the 'what-ifs.' Being forced to take a break from running helped me see it differently. I've realized just how blessed I am to even have the ability and the opportunity to run. I've learned that cross country isn't just about running, but about encouraging your teammates, being there for them when they're struggling, and praying for them. Running has shaped me in ways I never imagined it would.

I guess that's a wrap! Thank you to all the parents, for cheering for and supporting each and every one of us runners; to Coach Paul Shirley and Coach Megan Gerhart, for preparing us, motivating us, listening to us, and pushing us to always do our best to the honor and glory of God; and to all my wonderful teammates, for your constant encouragement and all your contributions to the team's character and positive attitude in the face of adversity. I am sad to see our seniors go, but I am looking forward to coming back and running next year. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for Red Lion Cross Country!

Katie

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."
-- Psalm 100 (ESV)

2018 Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) Championships

This past Saturday, November 10th, was the DIAA Championships, our final race of the season. The race was held at Brandywine Creek State Park. Despite the cold temperatures, winds above 20 miles per hour, and a muddy course, our runners did their best and finished out the season well. Red Lion competed in two races this meet: the Division II Varsity Girls' race and the Division II Varsity Boys' race.

The Varsity Girls' race was first, starting at 1:00 p.m. Faith Hollister ('22) finished the race in 54th place overall, running 24:23. Hannah Ye ('21) finished just over a minute behind in 73rd place. Captain Katelyn Walker ('19) ran a time of 26:27, placing her in 91st, and Fiona Fawcett ('22) followed five places behind her in 26:33. Katie Rippon ('20) finished in 127th place overall in 28:59. Abi Phillips ('21) started the race but fell in the first mile and was unable to finish, and Cathy Nicholson ('21) was unable to compete due to a stress fracture. Full race results can be seen here. The girls team placed 15th overall.

The Varsity Boys' race went off at 3:00 p.m. Joshua Deitrich ('19) finished in 75th place overall with a time of 20:38. Dennis Nicholson ('19) ran the race in just under 22 minutes and in 107th place. Spencer Armstrong ('19) finished in 127th place with a time of 22:58. Marc Sherman ('20), Captain Micah Pope ('19), Ryan Cooper ('21), and Richard Turley ('22) followed behind in 136th, 147th, 160th, and 163rd places respectively. Full race results can be found here. The boys finished in 20th place overall.

Three of the four senior boys before the start of the race (Photo: Mr. Bryan Deitrich) 

The team meeting after the race (Photo: Mr. Bryan Deitrich)

For the last race of the season, we gave it all we had. We worked hard through injury and adversity and did our best. While we were not as fast as we wanted to be and did not end up where we though we would in the final meet, we finished out the season strong. 

2018 New Castle County Championships

Saturday, November 3rd was the New Castle Country Championships. The races were held at the Winterthur Estate. We ran our best despite the challenge of a hilly, two-lap course. The windy weather may have presented even more of a difficulty, but it also made for some cooler temperatures. In this race, the top six boys and girls ran in their respective varsity races, and we entered four boys in the JV boys' race.

The JV boys' race was the first race we in which Red Lion competed. Ryan Cooper ('21) finished in 22:00 and 153rd place overall. This time was only two seconds slower than Cooper's all-time personal best. Richard Turley ('22) finished in 250th place overall with a time of 24:00, and Adam Rao ('20) finished in 24:31 and came in 262nd place. John Cusatis ('22) finished in 28:42, putting him in 336th place. Full results can be found here. Unfortunately, the JV boys' race results are not accurate according to our runners and Coach Shirley, so the actual times and places of our runners may have been different than those that were recorded and published online.

The varsity girls' race was the next. Faith Hollister ('22) finished in 23:15 and 73rd place overall. Hannah Ye ('21) followed in 24:21 and 98th place. Abi Phillips ('21) finished in 25:30 and 120th place overall, and Captain Katelyn Walker ('19) followed six places behind her in 25:44. Fiona Fawcett ('22) ran 26:41 and placed 148th, and Katie Rippon followed in 154th place. Full results can be found here. Red Lion finished in 20th place overall.

The start of the varsity girls' race. (Photo: Mr. Bryan Deitrich)

The varsity boys' race was the last of the meet. Joshua Deitrich ('19) finished 56th overall, running 18:42. Dennis Nicholson ('19) finished in 20:34 and 131st place. Andrew Tanyous ('22) finished in 157th place, and Marc Sherman ('20) followed ten places behind him. Michael Gasorek ('22) and Captain Micah Pope ('19) finished the race in 178th and 193rd places, respectively. Full race results can be found here. The Red Lion boys' team finished in 24th place overall.

Joshua Deitrich ('19) finished the race in a time of 18:42. (Photo: Mr. Bryan Deitrich)

This was a challenging race, but many of our runners posted solid times. After the race, we stopped at Coach Boyd's house for tacos and pie. Before the race, Coach Shirley told the team to "run for the tacos," which is exactly what we did. I have enjoyed seeing the strong relationships our team has formed this season, and many of us agreed that celebrating the second to last race of the season with tacos made the race worth it.