Blog Archives for 2020
2020 Start of Season Information
WHSXC 2020 Season Guidelines
*Please be aware that details are still very much in flux. In one day we went from having 3 meets we knew would happen as planned to having 1. Schedules and logistics may change with little notice. Please be flexible and understanding. Coaches will communicate as much as they can. Consider this document a “live document” that will be updated as we know more.
*Also, it is very possible spectators will be asked not to attend meets (possibly including our home meet). Please understand this is due to the difficulty of enforcing all CHSAA rules and guidelines with spectators present. We know parents, friends and family want to watch their kids run. We want to have parents, friends and family to watch their kids run. But we must ask you to honor these requests when they are made so we can continue to have a season.
Practice
First day of practice is Wednesday, August 12.
Practice starts at 3:15 and will end before 5:30 every day.
-Expect to practice on Saturdays if we do not have a meet. (Specifics will be announced as schedules are confirmed)
All athletes must have their athletic paperwork plus physical turned in to the office before they can participate!!
Locker rooms will not be available during e-learning. Come ready to run and bring all equipment you may need.
Show up with a mask on
-You will not be allowed to practice if you do not have a mask
-Masks may be removed when running, but put on when not running or resting. So, your mask must be with you at all times. Buffs or neck gators are good for ease of use and carry.
All coaches and athletes will answer health screening questions before being allowed to participate.
Stay distant
-Recommended 30 feet distance while running
-Minimum 6 feet of distance at all times
Equipment
-Bring your own large water bottle, full of water.
-Water bottles should be large enough to last all of practice--there will be no refilling
-Wear light weight and light colored clothes as well as hats and sunglasses.
First few days of practice will see temperatures in the mid 90s
-We have a limited number of GPS watches and chargers we can check out for the entire season. Everyone needs a GPS watch or phone with a run tracking app (ie Strava, RunKeeper, Nike running, etc.) if at all possible.
-Have extra clothes for rain, cold, etc. Be prepared.
-Bring hand sanitizer and use regularly if possible
Meets
All practice expectations will apply to meets as well.
Meets are limited to 50 boys and 50 girls per course per day. This means there will be far fewer opportunities to race than previous seasons, and we will never all be attending the same meet.
We will have prerequisites runners must meet before they can race (ie. being able to run a certain distance without stopping, running a shorter distance at a faster pace). If at all possible, all runners who have met the prerequisites will get to race.
All races will either start in waves of 25 or with each runner starting individually.
Masks must be worn to the start line. They can be removed as the race begins, but must be replaced as soon as a runner crosses the finish line. CHSAA encourages the use of buffs or gators so masks can be around the neck while running as opposed to being carried.
Regionals
6 runners per team, 75 total runners
Top 3 teams qualify for State along with top 2 runners not on a qualifying team
-If members of 5 teams are in front of you, you cannot qualify for State as an individual
State
6 runners per team, 10 individuals, 100 runners total
First Meet of 2020!
We will run our first meet of this very different cross country season on Thursday, August 27th. This meet is hosted by Mesa Ridge and will take place at Bartell Park and the adjacent Fountain Mesa Park. Race times are boys Varsity at 5:00, girls Varsity at 5:45. There will be no JV races. Mesa Ridge has requested that no spectators attend so the event numbers can stay below the county maximum of 150 people at outdoor events.
Home Meet 2020
This very different season will continue Labor Day weekend with our 2 day home meet.
We will run JV races on Friday with the boys going at 5:00 and the girls racing at 5:45. On Saturday morning we will turn around and do Varsity races with girls at 8am and boys at 8:45.
The start/finish area around CA Foster Stadium will be off-limits to spectators. The course goes from the Widefield High School campus to the Widefield Parks and Rec grounds and back again.
There is a possibility we will have need for a small number of parent volunteers in the finish area. If you would be interested in one of these spots, let Coach Nelson know.
Marching On
While the Widefield Cross Country Invitational looked different than it ever had before, that couldn't keep our runners from doing some great things this past weekend. Between the JV races on Friday and the Varsity races on Saturday we saw a total of 9 PRs and 5 PCRs set by our 22 runners who competed. Sophia Mena recorded the highest individual place with her 2nd place finish, and the biggest improvement coming from Alyssa Like, who improved her time from 2 days earlier by 4:08.
This Friday our team splits forces to run in 2 different races. A small group of Varsity runners will go to the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede to race on the State course. Boys race at 5:30, girls race at 6:15. Spectators will not be allowed on the Norris Penrose sections of the course. The rest of the team that is able to compete will go to Harrison's course at El Pomar Sports Complex where boys will race at 4:00 and girls at 4:45. Spectators will not be allowed in the start/finish area.
Week of Sept 14
After solid results this past weekend, we start what is essentially the home stretch of our season. We have 2 weeks of meets before the league meet. Then all we have left are Regionals and State. It is certainly time to make major improvements!
This week most of our runners will compete on Thursday at Mesa Ridge's first JV meet at Janitell Jr. High. On Friday, our top 5 boys and top 3 girls will compete at the TCA Titan Thunder invite, at the same El Pomar course where Harrison hosted their meet this past Friday.
Meets September 17 and 18
We have races on September 17 and 18.
On the 17th we will take most of our team to Janitell to run on the Mesa Ridge course. This will be a small race with one wave of boys starting at 4 and a wave of girls starting at 4:02.
On the 18th our 5 fastest boys and girls will run at the TCA Titan Thunder Invite at the El Pomar Sports Complex off of Circle and Janitell Rd. Boys will race at 4:30 and girls will go at approximately 5:10-5:15.
As has been the case all season, spectators are not allowed at either race.
Week of September 21
For about half of our team this is the second to last week of the season. While in many ways it seems like the season just started, we have made a lot of progress. We aren't done, yet, though!
This week we have an opportunity for all of our runners to take another step forward.
On Thursday, September 24 our varsity runners will be competing at the Cougar Classic at North Monument Valley Park in downtown Colorado Springs. Girls will race first on Thursday, with Wave 1 starting at 4 and Wave 2 at 4:03. The boys waves will start at 4:45 and 4:48.
On Friday, September 25, our JV runners will have a really cool opportunity to compete at the Canon City Cross Country Invitational which takes place at the Royal Gorge and finishes with a sprint across the Royal Gorge Bridge. Boys are scheduled to race at 4 and 4:05 with girls at 4:45 and 4:50. Spectators at the Royal Gorge will be able to watch parts of the race from outside the Royal Gorge grounds. However, in order to get in to watch the finish of the race, there will be a charge of $19 per person to enter the Royal Gorge park and cross the bridge. This is a discounted rate, and spectators are welcome to stay and enjoy the bridge and park after the race. Spectators will be required to wear masks and social distance.
Athletes will be required to follow all CHSAA, school, and team guidelines regarding masks and social distancing at both races.
Final Meets of 2020
We have confirmed information for the last 3 meets before State. All information is now correct under the 2020 Schedule tab.
In overview, on Wednesday, September 30th we will run the CSML South Championships at Monument Valley Park. Boys will race at 4:00, girls at 4:45.
The next day, Thursday, October 1st, our JV runners will run their final race at Janitell. Boys at 4:00, girls at 4:45.
Regionals will be held on Friday, October 9th at the Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo. Boys will race at 1pm and girls at 1:45. Our top 6 boys and girls will be allowed to run at Regionals. The top 3 teams of each gender will qualify for State, along with the top 2 individuals not from a qualifying team. Information from the Regional race coordinators states that each team will be allowed 13 spectators and will have to submit a gate list. Details on how we will handle this will be released as we get closer to that date.
Regionals
Over the last week our team has had to deal with some adversity. However, we have weathered the storm admirably and are now ready for the most important race of the year. We head to Pueblo to race at the City Park short 9 golf course on Friday, October 9th with a berth to the State Championship Meet on the line. Boys race at 1, girls at 1:45.
Each team is allowed 13 spectators. With 12 runners racing, each runner will get 1 official spectator and we will make a waiting list for any spots that don't get used. We have been told we will have to turn in a list of who our spectators are when we enter the race and that this list will be checked for anyone wanting to enter. All spectators will need to sign a Covid waiver and have their temperature checked before entering the golf course. Spectator entrance is near the City Park tennis courts.
Parents and family who wish to watch the race but are not on the spectator list have two options. The start and finish should be visible from Thatcher Ave. Also, the second mile of the race leaves the golf course to run on Nuckolls Ave. between the golf course and zoo. From this area of Nuckolls the runners should be visible at varying distances 6 different times, although the start and finish will not be visible from this location.
All spectators, whether on the course or not, are asked to follow social distance and mask guidelines. The officials in Pueblo are known to be strict, and the last thing we would want is a bunch of spectators in Widefield gear making the officials mad.
View the course map here.
Let's get 'em Glads!