After a brief stint from 2009-2010 coach Mark Caulfield was back at the helm for Circle Christian the past two seasons. In 2015, he guided the Centurion girls to their first ever cross country state championship, when they hoisted the 1A team trophy. We caught up with Caulfield to talk about his outlook on the team and the 2015 season.
Flrunnrers: What kind of training did your team get in over the summer months leading into the season?
Coach Caulfield: Our summer base training covers 12 weeks. Most of our varsity level kids are given weekly mileage "goals" based on their grade level and number of years running. Our 2 Seniors covered over 500 miles while our younger ones were in the 200-300 mile range. We try and add 5-10 miles to their weekly mileage each year. Most of the training is simply aerobic base building with some fartleks and tempo's added in over the last 4-5 weeks.
FLR: How did you train the team in the final weeks leading up to the state meet?
CC: Probably like most team preparing for state, we began to taper down the week of Regionals with regard to mileage and inserted some short (but still intensive) interval efforts. This year, for the first time, we ran a 1600 meter time trial on the track the Monday of Region week and just about everyone set a personal best. It was a great confidence builder for them to see how much they had improved from Track and Field with no real track applicable speed workouts.
FLR: What chances or belief did you have in your team's chance and ability to win the state title?
CC: Not much at the beginning of the season but as we continued to progress, we thought we might have a chance at the podium after the FSU Pre-State Meet. Following Regionals we thought we might have a chance at winning but that a lot of things would have to happen for that to occur. We also felt that there were probably 4-5 other teams that had valid reasons to feel the same way. To be honest, our focus really was not on winning though (which made it all the more sweeter I think). A very wise coach and friend of mine who had been in our situation a number of times shared with me how you can't control with other teams do but you can focus in on what your team can do. If you are prepared well mentally and physically and you go out and run the best that you can on that given day, together as a team, you can live with the results with no regrets. It was great advice that we tried hard to instill in the girls the last two weeks of the season.
FLR: What advice or points of emphasis did you give your team prior to the race or the week leading into the state meet?
CC: We kept sharing a 4 point mantra to the girls during the week leading into the State Meet. Relaxed. Confident. Focused. And Trust. Because we were young and somewhat an inexperienced team at this level (competing for a podium spot) we thought it would be important to keep things relaxed and routine. They all knew where they stood (they follow FLrunners) but it was important to stay relaxed, be confident in their God-given abilities and fitness level, focused on what they could do, and trust their training and their teammates.
FLR: What was the race plan for the state meet and how did you feel it was executed?
CC: There were two big factors that went into our race plan thoughts entering the meet. Pace and Position. Both centered on understanding who our team was. We train our kids with more of a long term emphasis. With our young kids we do a lot of aerobic capacity building work and not a lot of anaerobic work (that will come later when they are more physically ready to better benefit by it). Consequently, at this time, they have a tough time when going out too fast and getting into debt early. We knew that APR and the State Meet entices kids to get out fast that first mile so we really talked with them about confidently staying within themselves and be focused more on being smart that first mile while staying relaxed, patient and comfortable. We felt the APR course was wide enough to allow them to move up through the last two miles without difficulty. We then gave the kids a range of realistic placements we felt they were capable of finishing within and told them that we would tell them at the 2-mile mark where they were at and that if they ran smart the first two miles they would finish strong and hopefully even surpass those placements (they all did). The kids executed perfectly and I think going out a little easier the first mile benefited them with the slightly warmer temperatures we raced in this year. The feature that halfmiletiming shared this year showing the positional placements in five spots through the race was awesome to see how our Top 5 girls all consistently moved up throughout the entire race. Our number 5 girls moved up an incredible 62 spots in the last two miles which was astonishing to me.
FLR: Who do you feel really stepped up individually the most for the team at the state meet?
When all five of your girls score higher than the finish goal placements you set for them, I would say that they all stepped up individually. Our #1, Sinkenesh Parker (pictured below)obviously had an outstanding race to finish 10th and get on the podium and her sister Mulunesh Parker (41st place) finished as our 5th girl for the first time all season with an incredible race. Our third team finisher, Brooke McEwen (30th place) ran a fearless race. But I am not sure any of this happens without our two Seniors, Karah Hammontree (14th place) and Camila Murphy (34th place) who set the pace for our two separate pack running groups and kept the girls together, confident, and encouraged throughout the race. They did an incredible job leading this year. And probably one of the best feelings for a coach is seeing your 6th girl, Jaden Ault (48th place) finish well enough that even if any of your top 5 had faltered we still would have won the meet. It was a pretty incredible team day for Circle.
FLR: What were your feelings and emotions when you realized your team had won or during the awards?
CC: Honestly, it was surreal. I typically run all over the course during the race and then stand at the 3 mile mark cheering our kids home. I knew they had run well and a potential podium spot looked good. But, I am not very good at counting places of other teams so I did not really have an idea of what had happened. As I went by the scoreboard I stood and stared seeing that #1 next to our name. I must have stood there for 10 minutes making sure it did not change before my phone started blowing up with congratulatory texts. It was a pretty awesome emotion of gratitude and thanksgiving and pure excitement for the girls. It is an accomplishment that will bond them for life and a memory that will last forever. I think the girls summed it all up best though. Best. Day. Ever.
FLR: What were the biggest challenges for this year's team?
CC: I think very program that is striving for excellence runs into challenges along the way that potentially threaten your dreams and goals. I am aware of a number of the top 1A girls team that remarkably worked hard to overcome injuries this season which is a strong testament to their character, coaching, and incredible programs. For us, our team was fortunate to remain pretty healthy throughout and only had 1 athlete miss any races this year due to an illness or injury. But it was a scary one. Shortly after the first meet of our season, our #1 girl was hospitalized and diagnosed with viral encephalitis. She could not speak, move some of her limbs, and struggled processing simple cognitive functions. After 2 days of extensive testing, the doctors released her with the diagnosis and simple instruction to rest and allow the brain to heal itself. There was no medication available to help and no way of knowing how long the virus would continue to spread or how long it might take for the brain to begin to heal. We did not know whether she would run again. But she did and we believe that by God's Grace alone, she was able to be back with us and running again two weeks later. She still struggled with some areas as her brain continued to heal itself over the months that ensued, but the doctors ensured it was safe to run and she, beyond explanation, continued to get faster and faster cutting 2 minutes off her previous best as the season progressed and ended up finishing 10th at the State Meet. The team rallied around their young 7th grade teammate that brought everyone closer together in a spirit of thanksgiving and togetherness that I believe impacted us all well beyond running and winning a State Title. At the very least, it certainly did make it a very grateful championship win.
FLR: How would you best describe the group of kids that you coach?
CC: Young. Talented. Hard Working. Coachable. Disciplined. Silly. Lovable. Kind. Selfless. Together.
FLR: What role do your assistant coaches play with the program?
CC: Our assistant coach, Brandy Parker is a wonderful complement to what I do. She covers many of my weaknesses and relates to the girls on a level I cannot. She leads our team devotions and introduced us all to yoga this year that I think helped a great deal in our ability to stay healthy. She is a great mom to 6 talented kids and a very busy lady whom we are all so grateful for but still do not understand how she does it all.
FLR: What role do your parents have with the program?
CC: Our team comes from a somewhat hybrid home schooled community (school offers both home schooled and college style classes options for students) with parents that are engaged, active, invested, and supportive in all their child's activities. We invite our families to run / walk with us during practice and joyfully do a number of things together like monthly family dinners and post-race luncheons. They are also invaluable on race day with great support and encouragement. Our kids are very committed to excellence and that comes through their parents. Whatever level of success we may have can be attributed to the commitment, talent, and hard work of the kids and the support we get from the parents and school.
FLR: Who were the leaders on your team and what was the importance to the squad?
CC: Each summer we take all our seniors away on a 3 day Leadership Summit in Tallahassee to train and discuss / plan out the upcoming season. They design team shirts, select team uniforms, plan out the meet schedule, select team mottos, devotions and how we all can better serve the team. We had two Seniors, Karah Hammontree and Camila Murphy on the State team that did a remarkable job mentoring and encouraging our young girls. They set a great example beginning with their commitment and mileage through the summer and continued to lead well throughout the season. At the end though, they pulled everyone together (as one) and did a remarkable job of encouraging and keeping everyone calm and confident leading into the state meet. They set the tone for the "team" and I am not sure we accomplish what we did without them and their selfless servant leadership of the team.
FLR: Every state championship team seems to have a special or unique makeup that makes them state champions. What were some of those characteristics of this year's team?
CC: As my good friend likes to say, "talent overcoming coaching". Talent is their special makeup. But it is even more. They are a special group of young ladies who did something remarkable this season. Six of the seven girls improved over 2:00 this season from last year. That requires a consistency in their work ethic, a trust in the coaches and training, a love for one another, and a belief that they were given the ability and opportunity to do something amazing one day.
FLR: What are your expectations for next year's team?
CC: We return 5 of the 7 and hope that this season was the start of something really good. But, we are also realistic to understand that so much must come together to win a State Title. November 7 was an amazing day for us. Next year Class 1A for girls may be the most competitive season ever. We know that Maclay, Westminster Christian, Oak Hall, Providence, and First Academy all return most of their teams and that Holy Trinity will be eager to reassert their strength and rebuild with more talent. We hope that we are able to continue to build our program and help all our kids continue to strive for excellence. That State Championship was a great day for Circle Christian School and our girls. We were both humbled and excited at the same time. It was a new emotion and experience none of us had ever felt. It was good. It was one we would love to experience again someday should the Lord allow.