The course and surrounding sports complex are impressive. So much space. Tennis courts, soccer fields, and an expansive cross country course. For spectators of the race, it's almost like a tight golf course, one where holes are side-by-side, in opposite directions. Think Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin. The result of the layout is that if you hustle, it's fairly easy to get to multiple vantage points on the course to see the runners. So, that's what I did Saturday morning, so I could see JP and cheer him on as much as possible.
As I wrote earlier, it was a very fast field with runners from all over the southern and mid-eastern United States. Schools from Pennsylvania and West Virginia sent teams, too. It's a big race, probably the biggest of the season with over 280 runners.
JP started out fast and when I saw him early, he was in the second pack of runners, right behind the leaders. For the first couple of miles, he ran with a tall kid from Columbus North HS (Indiana). During the third mile, the other kid pulled away and JP was left in no man's land, running by himself, slightly ahead of what amounted to a fourth group that included Eli Wharton from Division Academy in Nashville. He's a super kid that JP has gotten to know.
JP held off Eli Wharton for 11th place, finishing at 15:20:81, six seconds off his PR. It was a solid run but I think JP was mildly disappointed he hadn't run a little bit faster. Cross county racing is a strange beast. Eight seconds faster would have been a PR. Eight seconds slower feels differently. Still, 11th place out of 283 runners is something to be proud of, for sure. I was proud of JP, of course.
JP is going to run in Louisville, KY, on Saturday, with Gabe and Wynn. Gabe ran a PR at 15:30, as did Wynn at 16:33.30. JP was scheduled to go to visit Notre Dame with Jude but he wants to get another race in since the Chickasaw Trails Invitational was canceled. I thinks it's the right decision because the way to get better at racing is to race more. That's apparent to me.
I drove back after the race and met Joe and Jude at my office. They had driven to Huntsville on Saturday morning to watch JP race. We sat in my office, relaxed, and watched football on the flat screen I had put in a little more than a year ago. We had an hour or so to kill before Joe's Saturday afternoon basketball game at TOA Courts in Cool Springs. Joe's Bucket Squad was set to play some of his former teammates from the Stars' team he played on in the spring. Page Middle School boys.
It was a great game. Probably the best game I've seen this group play, coached by Thomas McDaniel. Joe's team only had five players. No subs. They played hard defensively and shared the basketball as well as they every have. What saved them was they got an early lead and hit a lot of 3's. Somewhat, they withstood a spirited comeback attempt led by one of my all-time guys, Will, who hit multiple 3's in a real heat check game for him. He played with Joe in the spring on his Stars' team. A great kid who always seems a little sad. I try to give him as much love as possible and to pump him up because I think he needs it.
Joe played a solid game defensively, making almost all of the right plays, as usual. He turned the ball over a few times but not too many. He had several nice assists, which is his game. Really, a fun basketball game too watch as Joe's Bucket Squad held on for a 43-41 win.
One Saturday. A lot of sports.
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