Two weeks after their third consecutive 2A state championship the Trinity Prep Saints were back in action. The Saints, running under the club name Avery Creek Running Club, competed in the 2015 CC Coaches National Youth Championships in Lexington, Kentucky and came away with a small school national championship.
The group dominated the eight team field that included teams from Michigan, Minnesota, and Kentucky with a score of 20 points and their fastest team average of the year 15:51.50. Senior Jesse Millson was the individual champion covering the Masterson Station Park in a personal best time of 15:36.26. The pack running strategy worked to their advantage going 1,2 (Chas Cook),3 (Trent Mandato),4 (Patrick Salas) and tenth. (Preston Copenhaver) The Saints were without the Galloway brothers. Kayamo was third in the 2A meet. Millson had this to say after the race.
"It was great to run in Kentucky. The weather was so nice. I think it was 47 when we ran, compared to the state meet that was 87 two weeks ago. The cold definitely makes a difference. It was a pretty hilly course, really windy too.. Our top four were just working together the whole time. We went through the mile at 4:45, two mile at 9:56. Overall, it was a great race and nice preparation for next week at NXNSE."
Coach Ken Vinal talks about how the opportunity to run in the meet came about.
"In December of last year I was invited to participate in a conference call with several other small school coaches and Frank Miklavcic and Dave Ramsey of the Yes-Athletics about a club national championship for small school clubs. They already put on a successful national championship meet and wanted to add a race for clubs with runners from the same high school. This fall Dave and Frank were able to publically announce the D-II small school club national championship and contact the coaches of the top small school (699 or less students).
It was exciting to compete with teams from around the country and while the field was not large, it did contain 6 of the top 10 ranked small school clubs. The course was a little challenging with its rolling hills but the weather was a near perfect sunny 50o."
The game plan for Vinal's squad was to what they've been doing all season go out fast and establish themselves in the lead pack."
"The purpose was two-fold to put everyone in position to run pr's and to prepare for next weeks NXN-SE race. Our training plan for the past two weeks was to maintain 50 miles a week, with two workouts a week at a goal pace intensity."
In the first mile, the top four dropped the rest of the field, stayed together for most of the race, when Millson began to kick with about 300m to go. Vinal says he could not be more proud of how they ran.
"Our guys had 6 of 7 pr's and Chas running 1 second slower than he did at the state meet. 15:51s is the fastest top 5 average of team I've coached in several years. Just like these guys used Flrunners as a preparation for Pre-State in the high school season, this race was a preparation for NXN-SE. It has bolstered their confidence and has them sky high with excitement. They believe in themselves -- I believe in them."
This week won't be a time to rest. In fact it's back to work on Monday with a hot 45 miles, a 2x2k step down workout, and a 3x500m workout before they eat their Thanksgiving feasts and turkey on Thursday Morning. It's all in preparation for next Saturday's NXNSE regional in Cary, North Carolina where they hope to punch their ticket to Nike Nationals in Oregon.
