Welcome to Titans XC 2019, and DVCS Back to School Fundraiser 5k!

Hello everyone!

I'm Katie Rippon, a rising senior at Delaware Valley Classical School and varsity cross-country runner for the DVCS Titans. I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience writing for the team blog last season, and I am looking forward to doing it again. 

I wanted to go ahead and let you all know about the Back to School Fundraiser 5k to benefit Titans Athletics. The race will take place at Lums Pond State Park on August 24th at 9 am, and prizes will be awarded to the winners of several age groups. If you're interested, contact David Corbett (dcorbett@dvclassical.org). The cost is only $20 if you pre-register, or $25 the day of race. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome, so please come join us!

Our first practice as a team is just over a week away! I am excited to be back to running with both new and returning runners. DVCS students, please consider running XC this year if you are not already. It is not too late to sign up, and running for the team is a really great experience, regardless of your speed or athletic capabilities. Personally, I started as a beginner in ninth grade. Since then, I have grown so much, not just as a runner and teammate, but as a person. 

Well, that concludes this introductory post! I am really looking forward to seeing what God will do with our team in the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more team updates and race results as the season progresses! Go Titans! 

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)

Welcome to XC 2018!

Hello everyone!

I'm Katie Rippon, a runner on the Red Lion (Reach Christian Schools) varsity cross-country team and rising junior at Tall Oaks Classical School. When Naomi Mengel ('18), former captain of the girls varsity team, suggested that I take over the blog this season, I decided it would be a great opportunity for me. While I am new to blogging, I am passionate about writing and am going to give this a try.

Today was our first practice as a team, at which we had both new and returning runners. Former captains Ben Schneider ('17) and Luke Sherman ('18) came out to run with us this morning and share their words of wisdom with the current team members. Personally, I am really looking forward to seeing what God will do with our team in the upcoming season. 

Stay tuned for more team updates and race results as the season progresses! Go Lions!

Katie


"But they who wait for the LORD will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
-- Isaiah 40:31

Wow. What a Season!

The cross country banquet on Thursday marked the official end of our 2017 cross country season. Awards were received, pins were handed out, t-shirts were signed, and desserts were eaten (lots of them!). Coach Shirley even gave every runner his or her own golf tee in honor of the golf tee that was awarded to the winners of practice each day back at the beginning of the season (I guess he didn't want to have to carry around a bunch of two-by-fours...).

The winner-of-practice block at the end of the season (Photo: Mrs. Jen Mengel)

Joshua Deitrich ('19) and Hannah Ye ('21) were awarded the Top Male Runner and Top Female Runner awards. These were based on points earned towards varsity letters, of which Josh won 80 out of a possible 80! Marc Sherman ('20) and Captain Naomi Mengel ('18) received the Most Improved Runner Awards. Spencer Armstrong ('19) and Faith Hollister ('22) were the recipients of the Coaches' Awards, the criteria for which included finishing every race and making a significant contribution to the team in terms of scoring.

As Coach said at the banquet, this was an amazing year for our team. We met our team goals for the season, and I've seen every one of us runners improve so much. In looking ahead, we have a relatively young team, and I can't wait to see how Red Lion Cross Country will grow in the years to come!

On a more personal note, I can't express just how much I've enjoyed cross country these past two years that I've been running. This season especially, I really feel like I started to hit my stride (no pun intended). I've gone from thinking I could barely run a mile without dying to knowing I can push myself beyond my mental limits to finish every race. I've learned valuable lessons from both my coaches and teammates, not only about running, but also about encouragement, teamwork, and life in general.

I guess that's it for this year then! To all our parents, thank you for your support of us runners and cheering for us; to our coaches, for teaching us the value of preparing, continually encouraging us, and pushing us farther than we think we can go; and to my teammates, for being an absolutely amazing group of encouraging, hilarious, supportive, and understanding people. I'll miss you all next year, but I can't wait to see what's in store for this team in the years to come!

Naomi

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
- Hebrews 12:1

P. S. Don't forget about the 500 club! Keep logging those miles and I'll see you on the leaderboard ;)

Welcome to Cross Country 2017!

Hey guys!

I'm Naomi Mengel, captain of the girls varsity cross country team at Reach Christian Schools and senior at Tall Oaks. When my former teammate Benjamin Schneider asked me if I would be willing to take over this blog, I decided I'd give it a try (although this is only my second time doing this kind of thing, so I'm still getting used to the writing style involved).

As we're preparing for our first meet, I'll be posting something about what our team has been doing with regards to training for these past weeks (hint: it involves a golf tee, a two-by-four, and our team motto for the season).

Stay tuned for more updates on the team's progress, race reviews/results, and other fun things from the season!

Naomi

Notes and Updates...Again

Wow, have I seriously managed only one blog post since October 1?

First of all, I want to sincerely apologize for the lack of production recently at OnTheLineXC. I haven't done as much as I've wanted to do, mainly because I've been busy with schoolwork and college applications, both of which take priority over the blog, as they should.

In terms of what has gone on since the last post, our team ran a tri-meet (against Caravel Academy and St. Elizabeth High School) at Lums Pond last Wednesday, October 26. While it was not technically a home meet for us, it was great to have an opportunity to run at a course we had already been to earlier in the season to compare our times and see how much we have improved as a team. I had been waiting to write a race review in case any pictures from the meet became available on social media, but I have not found any yet. With that, I'll go ahead and post the full results and give a short summary here.

Joshua ('19) just missed out on the win, finishing second to Caravel's Jacob Puharic, three seconds behind. Noah ('17) ended up third, while I placed fifth. I was aiming for a sub-20, so to miss out on that by five seconds is a bit disappointing. Still, ending up in P5 in a tri-meet we won easily is hard to be unhappy with. On the Girls' side, Hannah ('21) and Mae ('20) finished second and third respectively, while Red Lion as a team placed six girls in the top ten.

Full results from the tri-meet.
(Photo: Nikki Pizzulli/Paul Shirley)

Tomorrow, we travel to Winterthur for a county-wide meet in preparation for State Championships one week later. I will try to get results and a race review up for both meets as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Benjamin Schneider

Notes and Updates

I've had a fairly busy week and also have a bunch of stuff to get done this weekend. Given my time constraints, I'm going to break from tradition, speak in the first person, and just give a short summary of what has gone on the last two weeks.

Coach Pizzulli Runs Half Marathon

Coach Pizzulli competed in the Freedom's Run Half Marathon on October 1 in West Virginia. The race was run in mixed conditions, with rain rolling in about half an hour before the race start. It slowed down as the race began, but picked up again toward the end of the race.

Photo: Innovative Timing Systems, LLC

Pizzulli ran a time of 1:54:12.6 and finished 110th overall and 11th of 123 in her age group. Of the 787 runners who started the race, only 682 finished, making for 105 total DNFs.

"I was not expecting the course to be as hilly as it was (I was told [there was only] one major hill). The first hill we hit at mile three was about a mile and a half long, going up about 940 something feet (basically a little under 1000 ft elevation). Rolling hills continued the rest of the course.

"I was not able to begin training until August, so I only "trained" for two months- my longest run in those two months was nine miles. Along the way I had two slight set backs with some minor injuries (foot and right hamstring).

"Keeping this in mind, I try to remind myself that it was just one race. I can do it again, get better training, and get a time that I am satisfied with."

Given the brutality of course and her lack of training time, the mere fact that Coach Pizzulli finished is impressive, let alone in under two hours. Full race results can be found here.

Aberdeen vs. Edgewood vs. Red Lion vs. Tome vs. West Nottingham @ Bo Manor

Our fourth race was a six-school meet at Bohemia Manor High School. Both our Girls and Boys teams did well; the Girls took third-place out of four teams (Aberdeen and West Nottingham did not have Girls teams) and the Boys took second-place out of six. It was also a challenging course, and unfortunately, Micah had to pull out of the race with shin splints. We've also lost Katelyn for the season due to a stress fracture suffered before the race, which is a shame, given her decision to join our team at the last minute.

Joshua ran another fantastic race, finishing sixth overall in 18:47.01. Our fastest girl, Jessie, also finished sixth overall with a time of 22:54.91. If you would like a copy of the full race results, feel free to email me.

Battling Max for the lead in a dual meet last season
(Photo: TOCS Facebook)

Personally, it was an okay race for me. I finished 19th overall but probably could have been one spot higher had I waited longer to make my move on a Bo Manor runner. I passed him too early, ran out of gas and he passed me back, finishing about five seconds ahead of me.

It was also nice to get a chance to race against Tall Oaks' former MIL rivals, Tome and West Nottingham. It's tough to see one of Tome's fastest runners, Cody McDaniel, struggling with a knee injury right now. Cody and Josh were close rivals the past couple of seasons, though injuries have made it difficult for him to maintain that pace. 

Maxwell Green Wright was one of my rivals last year and has become WNA's fastest runner by far. I outpaced him all three races we ran against them last season, but he's beaten both times we've run against them this season. Max is a fantastic all around athlete; he's also a far better basketball player than I am and excels as a lacrosse player as well.

2016 Joe O'Neill XC Invitational

This was our fifth race of the season, and it was by far the largest high school race I have ever been a part of, perhaps the largest race period (though the Reindeer Run may come close). The meet was held at Bellevue State Park, which is where we ran the Howard Laws 5K races this summer. Mr. Laws himself was even at the race yesterday helping log the race results!

To my surprise, this really is a fast course. It has a little bit of everything. It starts out on Bellevue's wide open, one-mile gravel track before heading onto grass and into the woods, then coming back out onto the grass fields before hitting the pavement and finally crossing the original gravel track to sprint to the finish on the grass.

I could not be more pleased with my performance. If you had told me this summer that I was going to come back in October and run the exact same course in 19:25, I would have laughed in your face. But I did it, running my fastest 5K time in nearly over a year and my second fastest ever. Several of our runners ran personal best times yesterday, too many to count! 

Full race results can be found here (thanks for the link Katie!).

Looking Ahead

This was the first week we've had multiple races in the same week. The team has been instructed to get a short run in this morning and take Sunday off to fully recover as much as possible. We still have a lot of work to do to prepare for November but I'm already proud of what this team has accomplished and how far we've come in the last two months. Until next time...Go Lions!

Howard M. Laws Summer Cross Country 5K Series: Race 4 (TEAM RACE) (Preview)

First of all, thank you to Calvin for joining me on a nice, easy run this morning. I will try to give a more advanced notice for the next captain's run, which will hopefully be sometime next week.

As for tomorrow, this is the series' annual team race. Red Lion's Michael Collins ('16) has graciously offered to help recruit some RLCA runners and form a Red Lion/Tall Oaks "superteam" for the race (which is appropriate given our partnership). With that, we need to put out a call to you all to add as many participants to the team as we can. If you are interested in running tomorrow and your schedule allows it, we would love for you to come out and join us for this race.

Thanks,
Benjamin Schneider

Schneider follows Deitrich's lead, will not participate in Race 2

Hey guys, I've made an executive decision that even if the race happens, I will not be running tonight. The weather is going to be bad, with the storm hitting its peak right at the start of the race. Even if the storm moves through slower or faster than expected, it will still have a great effect on the course, which takes place mostly on the fields and trails of the park. All things considered, I've decided it makes more sense to get on the road earlier tonight so that I have more time to prepare for the various stops on my trip. I'm very disappointed, but I'm convinced skipping tonight's race, if there even is one, is the best decision for me and my family. Josh told me Micah is running though, so Micah, let me know what happens!

Howard M. Laws Summer Cross Country 5K Series: Race 2 (Preview)

First off, guys, let me make one thing clear. Don't expect much detail from these race previews. My goal with these is just to give you all insight as to what our plans are for the next race. The reviews are where you're going to find most of your information and will be written in the style of a third-person post-race article.

Now, as for the purpose of this post, the second race in the Howard M. Laws Summer Cross Country 5K Series is scheduled to take place tonight; however, weather could be an issue around race time. I am still planning to drive out, unless we get notification that the race has been postponed/canceled. As far as I know, Josh, (maybe) Micah and I are planning to run at the bare minimum. I personally am leaving for a stop at Davidson College on my way to ACCS as soon as I cross the finish line. So unless Josh takes me up on my offer to let him do the race review, it will be a while (likely Thursday) before it is be posted. Of course, if the race is postponed or canceled, we will let you know as well.

Race time is 6:30. More to come.

Howard M. Laws Summer Cross Country 5K Series: Race 1 (Preview)

Reminder to all that the first race in the Laws 5K Series is tonight at 6:30 pm at Bellevue State Park. The series got some attention last year from Delaware Online and has been praised by many as a great way for experienced cross-country runners in particular to maintain their base in the offseason.

Registration opens at 5:30 and will remain open until 6:15. Keep in mind that there are $4 and $8 park entry fees for in-state and out-of-state vehicles respectively (more information can be found here), as well as a $5 race registration fee. Those wishing to register for the entire six-race series can save $5 by paying $25 for all six races.

In other news, it appears there will be a cross-country interest meeting at Red Lion on Monday, June 13 at 6:00 pm. I personally will be at a college camp at Waynesburg University; however, I highly encourage all of you to at least find one family member who can attend if you cannot do so yourself.

As for tonight, I hope to see many of you at the race!

Welcome

Hey guys, it's me, Benjamin Schneider. Sports fan, cross-country runner, and a young man full of random, useless, trivial information that nobody cares about.

You may know me from my first blog, Schneider Speaks, which has not taken off like I thought it would. (I'd say I'm still at least as active as our former upper school principal, but with two new posts the last two days, I'm not sure that's true anymore.) I'm still going to keep that blog up and running and may post something about my upcoming camp at Waynesburg University, but time has gotten away from me and I've found other things to keep me occupied than writing there.

This blog, however, will be different (at least I hope). I'm going to limit this blog to the topic of running, and running only. I will keep you updated on my training this offseason and, eventually, the XC season itself as we prepare to join forces with Red Lion Christian Academy.

Although it's only early June, there is already some exiting news, which I hope to share later today. I'll also share why I've chosen to call this thing "On the Line." (Actually, "http://ontheline.blogspot.com" was already taken by another runner who hasn't written a single post since 2002. With that, I have to settle for http://onthelinexc.blogspot.com. Whatever. You all know what "XC" means...)

So, unlike my first blog, this one may be worth adding to your watchlist. Stay tuned.