Mandarin class of 2013 graduate Lucas Shannon has come home to the Mustang's as their coach following the retirement of longtime coach James Schmitt. The squad is coming off their 10th straight Gateway Conference championship and is hoping to make some noise in the postseason. North Florida correspondent Jacob Fuller caught up with Shannon and the members of the Mandarin senior class to talk about the conference win, coaching changes, program traditions, and much more.
Coach Lucas Shannon (Former Mandarin runner, 1st year as head coach)
We are very proud of our conference win this year! Being able to close out the decade of championships was a testament to Coach Schmitt and his dedication to success.
Talk to me about your days competing for Mandarin, as well as returning to the team and taking over as coach.
I came to Mandarin as a sophomore and was a part of some truly great teams. I transferred from a small private school where our top runners were in the high 18s and immediately was put in my place by runners like Eduardo Garcia and a crew of 16 minute runners. Every year with the team was full of memories but my favorite was senior year because everything seemed to come together for us. We had an extremely talented team and ran as a tight pack every race. We had two critical runners, Tyler Jowers and Rashaad Graves, join cross country that year who ended up running mid 16s and were our #4 and #5. It was our first year having 7 sub 17 runners and our top 5 all ended up taking scholarships to their respective schools. Coach Schmitt and my teammates were the reason I became the runner that I am now and the Coach that I hope to become.
As to taking over as Coach, I came back during Track season in 2015 as Coach Schmitt's assistant and was able to learn from him and the HOF Coach Jim Donovan. When I began Coach Schmitt made sure I was never in a role of "team manager" which was a role that some high schoolers who wanted to be a part of the team but weren't interested in competing would do. Instead he taught me all that he knew regarding training. I couldn't sleep the night that he told me he was retiring because I kept thinking about having the opportunity to coach at the school where I learned to love running and had so many memories. I decided to apply for the job and was very excited when I learned that I was going to be the head coach!
The athletes were very receptive to having me as their coach, which I am extremely thankful for since I know it is not always that way when someone takes over a program after their coach retires. We only returned our #7 from last year so it was a lot of fun watching so many young runners progress into Varsity athletes. They have done a tremendous job of taking on the challenge of keeping the Mandarin Legacy alive.
A 10th straight win at the Gateway Conference Championships? How did it feel to continue the championship streak?
Winning conference as a team this year was extremely exciting for us since only one of our runners had been a contributing factor last year. Our three seniors, Fuad Batteh, Anthony Rukab and Tim Ziemathis, were able to finish in the top 8 and earn all-conference honors. A big motivation for them this year is our board of top 25 all time that has every runner who has broken 17 in the orange and green. Winning conference was our first goal of championship season and now we are setting our sites on districts and making it through 4A Region 1 which has been dubbed "the region of death."
Timothy Ziemathis (Mandarin Senior)
How did it feel closing out a decade of championships your senior year at Gateway Conference?
It felt great! I'm happy to be a part of a team that has worked so hard to continue this streak.
How did you race at the championship yourself?
I ran a solid race with a PR of 17:49 and earned All- Conference
As a senior, tell me a bit about your experience on the team.
I joined the cross country team never having run a day in my life. Even though I will never be the fastest one out there I love the sport. When we get breaks between seasons I want to run. These teammates are my brothers (in fact my brother Matt is on the team). We do everything together. Some of my favorite times are pasta parties, ultimate Frisbee or just hanging out. This camaraderie is what makes us strong.
Coach Shannon took over for Coach Schmitt this season. How has this change in coaching staff affected the team?
It was definitely a sad day when we found out Coach Schmitt was leaving. As a team we had to band together and keep our morale up while they were looking for a replacement. The team had to focus on the up and coming season.
Coach Shannon was the perfect choice! He worked with us as an assistant coach under Coach Schmitt and also ran for Mandarin High 2010-2012. His coaching style is similar to Coach Schmitt's but he also brings his own unique ideas.
Some of the workouts have changed since coach Shannon has taken over but the foundation and focus of the team remains the same. States is our goal!
Talk to me about both coaches Shannon and Schmitt and maybe some fond memories from Coach Schmitt.
From day one Coach Shannon had been tough on us. We have run a lot of miles! He has realistic goals for each of us to meet. Every day is hard but worth it, Coach Shannon kept all of our team traditions alive which makes the hard work fun and motivates us to improve
From the very beginning Coach Schmitt told my freshman class that we were the slowest runners he had ever seen. He wasn't kidding, we were. Over the next three years he shaped us into the team we are now. When I broke 18 minutes he told me I had finally become a runner. Coach Schmitt is missed but he is always there for us. I'll always remember Coach Schmitt talking to us before our race stating that it takes 5. Meaning 5 scores to win not an individual.
Are you looking into competing in college? If so any particular school you are interested in running in college?
I have already been accepted to the University of Central Florida. They do not have a Cross Country program but I intend to run in their club starting next fall.
Anthony Rukab (Mandarin Senior)
How did it feel closing out a decade of championships your senior year at Gateway Conference?
Closing out a decade worth of championships just goes to show what it means to be a Mandarin Mustang. Every season it's the expectation to win the conference meet and advance to the regional and state meets. This is has been deeply driven by Coach Schmitt the past years and now Coach Shannon my senior year. Always fighting until the end and being "Schmitty Tuff". Every year, the day before the conference meet, the boys invite girls to shave our legs and we put some hair on the finish line. Very odd tradition but hey, it has been working.
How did you race at the championship yourself?
Not the best of course to race on. As Hurricane Matthew left the course wet along with debris everywhere. Only 7 seconds off my PR though so looking forward to having a giant jump come districts and regional. Even though I achieved top 8 for all-conference, I am not letting the race define me as a runner. I know I can run faster and stronger than my performance that day.
As a senior, tell me a bit about your experience on the team. Do you have a funny story or interesting thing that happened?
I would not trade this team for the world. They are the definition of a cross country team. They have all the weird and awesome qualities that make them unique. Every single year, we go to Berry College with Bartram Trail High School. Probably my favorite memory over the years as it brings the best out of the team. Having team vs team competitions such dodgeball and a 5-mile race up a mountain. Clutching in dodgeball three years in a row against Bartram is my favorite memory. Known as the dodgeball king as I was given most valuable dodgeball player.
Coach Shannon took over for Coach Schmitt this season. How has the change in coaching staff affected the team?
Coach Shannon has done an excellent job so far. In April, when Coach Schmitt announced his retirement from coaching, it really did shock us. We were worried about the Mandarin traditions that have been going on for years. Our athletic director, Coach Rado, made the right decision in hiring Coach Shannon. He has brought a fresh vision and electrifying vibe to the team along with keeping the previous traditions. He has us focused on states and achieving excellence.
Are you looking into competing in college? If so any particular school you are interested in running in college?
I am still deciding whether or not to run in college. Depending on my PR at the end of the season, I will make my decision. If I stay in town, I plan on being Mandarin's Assistant Coach next year. I will keep running and working out to years to come.
Fuad Batteh (Mandarin Senior)
How did it feel closing out a decade of championships your senior year at Gateway Conference?
Closing out a decade of championships as a senior was an honor. We go into every season with a mentality of focusing on the next race. So when it comes to conference, despite there being a districts race looming in 10 days and other championship races after that, we shift all of our focus towards getting the job done at Patton Park. Getting to hoist the trophy with my teammates afterwards just brought back memories of seniors doing it before me, and it felt amazing.
How did you race at the championship yourself?
I Pr'd at the championship with a 16:43.5. I got 4th place, and I was excited after the race with my results because i know I can drop my time even further in the coming championship races.
As a senior, tell me a bit about your experience on the team. Do you have a funny story or interesting thing that happened?
Being a senior on this team, I've been able to spend four years with over 50 different teammates. The thing about this team that never changes year in and year out is how close everyone is. When we have down time, we rarely split off into little groups like other teams do. Every person on the team, regardless of age, is close friends with each other and that's a rarity in any sport, and I cherish that. One interesting memory I recall is Coach Lucas's first day as our assistant coach during my sophomore year. I remember him going around and challenging anyone who looked at him to a race, and I remember his extreme confidence and his competitive mentality. This mentality is something that has stuck with him during his transition into a head coach. No matter what excuse we try to throw out at him, it automatically becomes invalid as he has already done it. He's the number 7 all-time runner at MHS with a pr of 16:07.
Coach Shannon took over for Coach Schmitt this season. How has the change in coaching staff affected the team?
Transitioning from Coach Schmitt to Coach Lucas was a difficult task. Coach Schmitt is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, coach in MHS history, and he had the championships and state finishes to back it up. Year in and year out Coach Schmitt was able to turn skinny unathletic boys into elite runners, and he did this through hard work and attention to detail. What made the transition from Coach Schmitt to Coach Lucas a successful one is that Coach Lucas is also a product of Coach Schmitt. He learned everything from Coach Schmitt and this has helped him achieve the success he has seen during his first year as head coach. One funny thing to say about Coach Schmitt is his inability to give up watching his boys run. Despite not being our coach anymore, he does all he can to watch us race and keep up with the team's progress, and it shows how difficult it was for him to give up coaching.
Are you looking into competing in college? If so any particular school you are interested in running in college?
Running in college will be a difficult decision for me. I currently am extremely interested in UCF, however they do not have a boys running team. I'm going to hold out until track season to see if I would like to pursue a running career at another school.