Last week, the men’s cross-country team earned a spot on the Division III national rankings for the first time since 2016. This 29th-place ranking is a well-deserved gesture for their impressive season, including a standout performance at the Division III Pre-Nationals, where they placed ninth. For the team, it’s more than a number. This ranking reflects the hard work that has been driving them since the start of the season.
The team is looking ahead to the rest of its schedule after finishing the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championship, and the national championship is on the horizon on Nov. 23. The team will look to continue to place well and earn a higher spot in the rankings. As senior Alex Gazarek put it, the ranking is a reward, but the end goal is clear: to perform their best on race day.
“It’s definitely very rewarding to see our years of hard work as a team pay off,” Gazarek said. “It’s been a goal of ours that we’ve had in the back of our heads, and it’s cool to see it finally happen.”
With a ranking comes expectations, but the team doesn’t seem too fazed. They’re using it as fuel rather than letting it weigh them down. Like Gazarek, head coach Kyle Flores views the ranking as a motivator, a reminder that they’re capable of going even further if they keep pushing forward.
“I don’t really think it’s going to put much pressure on us,” Flores said. “It’s a motivator, knowing that we can be good enough to run at a national meet potentially, but really, I think just focusing on our performances at the conference and regional meets is what we’re focused on most.”
While each athlete prepares in their own unique way when juggling both running and academics, Gazarek goes the extra mile physically and academically to stay ahead and ensure his mindset is in the right place on race day.
“I try to stay on top of things as best I can, both academically and athletically, so that way, I can put myself in the best mindset and I can prepare myself the best to compete on race day,” Gazarek said.
Throughout the long season, the team kept its motivation by focusing on its end goal: winning. Every practice and workout brought them one step closer to that goal. As the team nears the championship season, this is where the season’s hard work will show.
“Ultimately, it’s that end goal,” Gazarek said. “This championship season has been something I’ve been thinking about for the better part of a year, and I think just keeping my goals and what I want to accomplish at the back of my head’s gotten me through the whole summer and the beginning of the season as well.”
In addition to looking toward the future, the team’s chemistry played a huge role in its success this year. Junior Mitch Dolynchuk is one runner on the team who found the atmosphere very comforting. A long season filled with meets and academic work can drain a runner mentally, but camaraderie within the team helps fight the burnout.
“It’s because of the friends I make on the team, and we all hold each other accountable,” Dolynchuk said. That companionship is a big part of what gets us through a long season, especially on top of academic pressures, but we all have to do that together.”
The team’s chemistry and hard work showed when they competed in the CCIW championship on Saturday, Nov. 2. In the end, the men’s team placed second, highlighting seniors Joe Langridge and Finbar Martin placing fourth and seventh, and both runners earned a spot on the First-Team all-CCIW team.