CC runners prepare for Aug. 19 meet

By Sam Waller

The Albany High School cross country program entered its second week of preseason practice with all athletes expected to compete this fall taking part.

Coach Donnie Hart said the eight girls and three boys who attended the Monday, Aug. 7 training session are still working to get into shape before the first meet, Jim Ned’s Warpath Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 19.

“We’re still trying to build up that baseline to where the runners are going to push themselves,” Hart said. “Most of the workouts we have are now going to be structured based off of time, not necessarily distance. We’re going to push those time limits up as the weeks go on and try to get in great condition.”

Hart said practices would evolve over the early part of the season.

“We’ll fall into a little more traditional routine,” he said. “It becomes about maintenance and peaking on race day. But for right now, we’re just trying to challenge ourselves and get in shape.”

Monday marked the first time all three boys – juniors Jonathan Coody, Landon Kreitler, and Jayce Tinkle – were on hand.

“The kids have done a great job,” Hart said. “I think everything’s headed in the right direction. If they keep working at the pace they are now, by the time the season’s over, we ought to have a pretty nice season.”

Hart said having eight girlsfrom which to fashion a seven-person lineup gives him some flexibility from week to week.

“We’ll mix and match,” he said. “We’ll have some miss for volleyball and things like that. By the time we get to district, the girls team ought to be really strong.”

With a two-time regional qualifier in Coody, Hart also has high expectations for the boys.

“The boys will have a chance to do some things individually,” the coach said. “We’ll just keep working and see where it takes us.”