Following the retirement of long-tenured coach Jeff Cramer at the end of the 2023 season, the boys cross country team is looking to improve on its 25th place finish at the State Championship last year with new coaching and a familiar roster.
Senior Harrison Goncher said steady coaching this season has provided stability for the team.
“Our team has always had a really solid top four runners the past few seasons, but due to constant coaching changes the last few years, we’ve struggled with developing the rest of our roster with consistent runners,” Goncher said. “This year, [head coach Josh Washington] took over, and he’s provided us with a great staff and a great plan that should help us move forward throughout the season.”
This season Midtown moved from Class 5A to 4A. The change of classification also brought about a change in format, adding a sectional meet before the State Championship. These alterations bring all new teams to the region.
Washington, who was an assistant last year, wants his team to take on the new changes one step at a time.
“Previously, a lot of teams in a weaker region would qualify for state and get beat really badly, so sectionals will filter all of that out with the goal in mind of having better overall times at the state meet,” Washington said. “My goal for my guys is for them to improve their running every day; if they get better every day, they’ll get better every week, which hopefully will improve their times meet by meet. These baby steps will allow us to perform well at sectionals and, hopefully, place towards the podium at state.”
Junior Cameron Collier said the new classification in 4A brings higher expectations.
“This season our expectations are heightened because they have to be; we are now in the toughest classification in cross country,” Collier said. “We want to develop a strong top seven [runners] come November and be able to compete with the best teams in the state; we want to stay in that top 10 or top five conversation.”
Last year, 23 of 33 runners on the team’s rosters were underclassmen; many returned this year. Washington said keeping a similar roster has improved the team’s dynamics.
“It’s really beneficial for us to have such a familiar roster,” Washington said. “When you are competing for your teammates that you’ve known for two to three years now, it gives you that extra drive to compete harder, to chase that extra place in the rankings. Having the extra chemistry within the team allows our runners to find that extra gear, and that’s what the sport is really all about.”
Sophomore runner Thomas Carter believes the improved chemistry and experience within the team will be the difference from last season.
“I think our collaboration and overall teamwork has been a lot better this season,” Carter said. “We had a lot of inexperienced runners last year, so, I think the challenges we faced because of that helped us grow as a group.”
Collier said he hopes to raise standards in all aspects for the upcoming season.
“A familiar roster will allow us to focus on other crucial aspects of our running, especially training,” Collier said. “I want to see us be more competitive; we have a virtually concrete top four runners but competition for fifth, sixth and seventh would be great. That will only translate if we raise the bar every day at practice and hold each other to a certain standard throughout the season.”
Washington hopes to replicate points of success from the previous year.
“Last year, towards the end of the season, our practices got really competitive between the runners, which in turn, translated pretty well to the meets,” Washington said. “I want to see the guys maintain that level of intensity we left off at the end of last year; if we do that, I think we’ll have a successful season. In four months’ time in November, I want us to have achieved our goals we’ve set, especially beating Maynard (region rival Maynard Jackson).”
