Nonetheless, MVHS competed at the Nike Portland XC Invite on Saturday, Sept. 26 and welcomed the change.
“Nearly every face that you see is someone you have no idea who they are,” junior Kelly Bishop said, who placed 20th in her division. “There’s no consequences and no pressure. You’re just racing against a bunch of people you don’t know.”
The meet, previously known as the Nike Pre Nationals, brings in about 4200 athletes every year. Although comparatively small in turnout, the team compared the level of competition to a state meet, with elite runners from around the country concentrated at one course. Still the team performed exceptionally, with senior Brent Mogensen placing second in his division and many of the other eighteen Matadors achieving a personal record.
Photos used with permission by Kirk Flatow.
Coach Kirk Flatow, who had never been to an out-of-state meet with the team before this, orchestrated the planning steps beforehand.
“If I get an idea that I think would be really cool, it’s like an itch that I’ve got to scratch,” Flatow said. “And the idea of going out-of-state seemed like it would be a great thing, and it allowed me to scratch that itch.”
The team explored and indulged in junk food in downtown Portland after the race.
“When you’re traveling so far and it’s just to be there, you’re just having fun,” freshman Claire Chang said. “It was more laid back.”
Even Flatow participated in a locally run cross country series at Portland Meadows.
“I got smoked,” Flatow said. “But that’s the whole point, you can jump in and have that same experience.”
Flatow knows that he can find a race where his team will place first, and he can find a race where his team will place last. He wants his team to race against themselves and their own records. At the Nike Portland XC Invite, he encouraged his runners to focus on themselves rather than the competition.
“[Racing is] a chance to find out what you can get out of yourself,” Flatow said. “And maybe you’ll find something you didn’t know you had, in terms of willpower, in terms of persistence and in terms of ability to withstand pain.”
