With the majority of the season in the rearview mirror, and the state championship just ahead, it’s crunch time for Chamblee’s cross country team. On October 8th, the team competed in the varsity county meet, where the girls placed second and boys placed third.
“We’re happy with that,” said Jennifer Tinnell, one of the team’s coaches. “The girls came in second behind Dunwoody, so we’re going to be racing against them next Saturday…They’re definitely ready for a little revenge and to prove that they are the faster team.”
On November 2nd, the team drove to Lyons, Georgia to run in the sectional meet against 30 other teams, including Dunwoody, where the top 12 teams moved on to the state championship.
“We are literally at the point in the season that we have worked for all year. It all boils down to one meet,” said Tinell.
There’s a mutual feeling among coaches and runners that this is the most important part of the season, and the Bulldogs feel ready because of their extensive training before and during the season.
“We’ve had a great ramp up to prepare for this. We started preparing and we had a very successful summer training program, which helped set us up for success during the regular season,” said Hakim Felts, another coach for the team.
The team anticipated a very challenging and competitive race at the sectional meet.
“It’s going to be a good race for state,” said Ryan Shimabukuro, one of the team’s runners, prior to the sectional meet. “We’re going to try and make it. There’s going to be a lot of competition. Nothing’s guaranteed this year. I’d like to try and advance,”
While they had strong competitors in the sectional meet, the team still had confidence that they would advance to the state championship.
“It’s going to be very challenging,” said Felts. “There’s some really good teams out there that we’re going to be competing against, but we’ve stepped up to the challenge all year, so I expect us to be prepared and I feel like we’re going to advance to State.”
However, with so much at stake, anticipation was building for many of the runners.
“I’m very nervous to run because it’s a big meet. It’s a really big deal and I want to do the best I can,” said Ian Mathews, a dedicated runner on the team, prior to sectionals.
Mathews is taking measures, physically and mentally, to make sure that he is in top form for the upcoming state meet in Carrollton.
“I’m trying to eat good. I’m trying to get a lot of sleep…and I’m trying to cut down on technology and I’m trying to sleep more,” said Mathews.
Running is often seen as a solo sport, but during cross country meets, from a statistical and emotional standpoint, team performance is key.
“A lot of people think that running is individual,” said Tinnell, “and it is, but in cross country, it really only matters how you do as a team.”
Looking towards next year’s competitions, the team encourages everyone to experience the thrill of a cross country meet.
“Heading into next season, because our season’s about over, definitely try to come out to a cross country event. It’s an electric atmosphere,” said Felts.
