NC Runners Top 25s Now Posted

NC Runners has posted their complete preseason Top 25 for Boys and Girls. 

Watauga was ranked #6 Boys and #16 Girls.  These rankings are mostly based on the recorded times of returning runners, but also on other information Coach George has gathered and his guesses.  Take them as a challenge, but not too seriously.  The Boys #3 through #6 are close, and Watauga could just as easily been #3.  But it will be settled at meets, especially the 4A Regional and State Championships.  (The #1 and #2 schools are 3A.)

NC Runners will be covering the Clash of the Classes here in a few weeks, in addition to other later meets.  Photos, videos, and previews and reviews of the races.

Physical Exam and Other Forms

Print out forms on WHS Athletics page.

XC Practices start at Watauga and in all North Carolina Monday UPDATE

For new runners at Watauga High School, the season starts at 6:00pm tomorrow (Monday) at the High School.  Returning runners have an additional practice at 6:00am tomorrow (Monday) through Wednesday.

"Bring all your friends – the more, the merrier."

UPDATE: The high temperature is only going to be 80⁰ or 77⁰.  But you'll still need a water bottle.

Watauga schedule against Top 15s UPDATE 7/29

NC Prep Track is keeping an easy-to-read chart of NC Runners' Preseason Top 15s.  The Countdown is only to the #3s #2s so far.  But let's look at how these top teams fit into Watauga's schedule.  (We suspect that there will be some very good unranked teams and runners too.)

8/25 Hendersonville (signed up this year):  Chapel Hill, TC Roberson, Providence Day, Charlotte Latin.  Also good teams from South Carolina and Tennessee.

9/15 Cary (based on 2011):  Broughton , Chapel Hill, TC Roberson, Providence Day, Cardinal Gibbons , Cary.  A good team from Virginia came last year.  Maybe Reagan and Green Hope are still to be ranked.

9/29 Boone (based on 2011):  Asheville School and schools from Tennessee and Virginia.

10/6 Charlotte (first two signed up this year; the rest based on 2011):  Pinecrest, North Lincoln, Chapel Hill, Myers Park, TC Roberson, Ardrey Kell, Mt. Tabor.  Schools from South Carolina and Virginia.

10/10 Newton (based on 2011):  TC Roberson, Providence Day, East Rowan, North Lincoln, Asheville School.

10/27 Charlotte (based on 2011 qualifying): TC Roberson, Ardrey Kell, Myers Park, and Providence.

11/3 State Championships in Kernersville (maybe):  TC Roberson, Ardrey Kell, Myers Park, Broughton, Pinecrest, Mt.Tabor, South View, and the #1s that are 4A.
UPDATE:  Oops.  I'd better add Providence, although only 4 West 4A teams will qualify as teams.

This is just a partial WHS schedule.   Here's the full schedule.

Skepticism about Sports Drinks and Other Products

"There is a striking lack of evidence to support the vast majority of sports-related products that make claims related to enhanced performance or recovery, including drinks, supplements and footwear."  This study in the British Medical Journal does not really prove that sports beverages and other sports products are ineffective, but it does indicate that there is very little available evidence that confirms the many claims.  Here's the list of the products they studied.

The people over in the Convocation Center might disagree on some points.

In case you'd like to read more: The BMJ article, a news article, and (my favorite) a blog post from a nutrition researcher.  The latter also summarizes several other articles, including two questioning overemphasis on hydration and drinking when not thirsty.

Not that water and carbohydrates aren't important.  (And rest!)

Preseason Rankings High and Low

Watauga Boys at #6?  OK.  That's not a bad spot to start the season.  And if it's true that NC Runners has the Watauga Girls #16 this year, that's not bad either, considering who just graduated.  It should be fun moving up, from 16 and 6!

Boys in the West 4A: TC Roberson just given #5.
Girls: Myers Park picked for #5.  Ardrey Kell and TC Roberson #7 and #9.

Rest

Coach Honea is not really advocating that everyone slack off this week, but he is recommending that all runners get good rest in preparation for the start of practices next week.  Get some sleep.

Also according to Honea: "Official practice starts Monday, at 6:30 a.m. for returning runners, and 6:00 p.m. for everyone.   Morning practices will be the first three days – new runners who have been coming to the summer workouts are welcome to do those as well.  Afternoon practices will be at 6:00 p.m. everyday, except possibly next Wednesday when we might meet late due to the Moonlight Mile."

Greenway Changes? Not this Year

What's going on with the Greenway?  Are the banks on the section below the covered bridge about to be restored, displacing the existing trail along the big loop?  Or is that years away still?
Answer: "The Corp of Engineers pulled out of the plan so no Greenway disruption after all."

Notes: Meet in 4 Weeks, Preseason Top 15 Teams, Top WHS Times, etc

• In 4 weeks, we have the Pioneer Clash of the Classes.  It's a great race to start the season, "a fun and low-pressure way to cap your pre-season training. Every class has its own separate 2-mile race. Separate races for each grade (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th)."  
• NC Runners has started its Preseason Countdown of top 15 teams, announcing one Boys and one Girls team each day.  #15  -  #10 have been revealed and no Watauga so far.  I'm guessing about #5 and #8, but it's just preseason projections--not good information on focus, injury, freshmen, and other unpredictables.
• In the links to the left, Watauga's Top 5K Times are now updated.  A lot of times and names were added for meets since October 2010!
• Do other high schools have a website like this?  Not too many.  Some have probably moved on to FB, Twitter, and newer formats.  Here are a few: Allatoona HS, Georgia;  Meridian HS, Idaho;  Santa Rosa HS, California.
• How to Watch a Cross Country Meet  -- We'll take a look at this again as the season starts.  I especially like the last (3rd) page on "How to Cheer for Distance Runners," with good and bad examples.  You might also enjoy this same guy's "Uncool: How NBC Makes Track and Field Dull" for the Olympics.

Full Meet Schedule; First Day of Practice -- July 30

Don't forget to get a physical.
First day of fall practice is Monday, July 30.
The official schedule is now up here and here:

The Bear tonight UPDATED with WHS times

Several WHS XC athletes will be running The Bear 5 Mile Run up to Grandfather Mountain tonight.  Last year's times.

UPDATE 13 July:  Andrew Vandenberg finished 3rd!  Daniel Osborne (WHS 2011) was not far behind.  The fog was thick, and it was almost cold.
UPDATE#2 13 July:  Here are full results for WHS runners:
9th Michael Holland 34:27  right behind Daniel!
23rd Dustin Hickernell  37:59
30th Avery Pitts  39:00
49th PeterV  41:39
50th Matthew Osborne  41:44
141st Dan McAuley  47:20  in his kilt
200th Joe Wiswell  49:41
397th Shelby Hickernell  57:15