Spartan 5K Success!

Good morning!  (Hard to believe that it is still morning!)

Great thanks to all who came out to participate/help/support the Spartan 5K this morning!  It was a chilly, windy morning but at least the sun was shining!

We had a very nice event today, collecting about $1400 in donations.  It was a low-key event and great to see so many families out to support the Cross Country and Track and Field programs.

Thank you to Doreen Ryan for taking pictures today.  They can be found here:
http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/doreenryan/library/2014%20Cross%20Country/Spartan%205K

Thank you to the banana donors:  Marianne Couser, Lisa Luetmer, Kelly Turner, Michele Bleskan, Allison Benike, Angela Cramer.

Thank you to the volunteers:  Kate Mallmann, DeAnna Schleusner, Angela Cramer, Allison Benike, Marianne Couser, Jaime Gathje, Tamara McBane, Erin Truesdale, Katherine Moore, Jeff Werning, Nancy Werning, Elizabeth Sorenson, Nell Pennington, Macie McKinley, Elizabeth Parney, Joel Poppen, Peter Luetmer, Jacob Gathje, Ethan Couser, Steve Sine, Toby Mallmann, Norm Turner, Kay Kushwaha, Michele Bleskan.

Thanks to Coach Brett for the timing and organizing of the event!

If you were not able to participate today but you would still like to donate to support the Mayo Running programs, we would love to have your donation!  Please send your tax-deductible donation to Friends of Mayo Running, Cross Country program, Mayo High School, 1420 11th Ave SE, Rochester, MN  55904.

See you at the banquet on the 18th!

Spartan 5K is almost here!

Thank you so much to all of you who have signed up to volunteer, donate or run this Sunday!  The Spartan 5K is almost here and we are very excited!

Although we waited a little long to get going on this, things are falling into place nicely :).  A very special thanks to Great Harvest Bread Company, who agreed to provide race rolls with very short notice!  Please thank them if you get a chance!

A special plea to please not wait until the last minute to register to run!  It will be much easier if Brett can have that information ahead of time to get everything into the computer for the chips.  Sign up right away so that there is not much left to do on Saturday morning!

Register to run here:  http://tinyurl.com/2014Spartan5K
Volunteer here:  www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E054EA9AD2BA57-20141

Rochester Nordic Ski Team

Usually I mention this earlier in the season... but now is as good a time as any!  There is a good chance that your runner has talked about joining the Nordic Ski Team this winter season.  This is the direction that many XC runners (and others) go for a fun sport in the winter.  Here is a little bit about this team/sport:  The Rochester Nordic Ski Team is an All-City team under the umbrella of the Rochester Active Sports Club.  It is run by volunteer coaches who have a wonderful focus of teaching kids the lifelong sport of XC skate skiing.  Skate skiing is very different from classic skiing, which is what many people think of when they think of XC skiing.  Skate skiing uses more of a skating motion, is faster (once you know what you're doing), and is a great workout!

The team meets Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from the end of November through February.  Attendance is taken but the atmosphere is relaxed.  If there is not snow or the temperature is too cold to be outside (usually below 0), dryland practices are usually scheduled.  Some winters this happens too often but hopefully this season will be a good  one for skiing!

It is possible to letter in XC skiing through participation in practices, meets, technique proficiency, and service hours.

Because the team is an All-City team, the kids will meet lots of new people from other schools-many of them are also XC runners for their school.  Fun to ski with the same kids that they run against at a different time of year!

For more information about this year's program and for registration information, visit www.rasc-mn.org.  If you have questions, send me an email!  Registration night is Monday, November 3 at Century High School.  It is recommended that you register online ahead of time if possible and then attend the registration for all of the information!

Spartan 5K

Moving right along to the Spartan 5K on Sunday, November 2.  We hope that your family will  participate!  (I see that some of you have already begun to sign up!  Hurray!)  There will be race-day registration available but we are hoping that as many people as possible will sign up ahead of time.  This will make race morning much simpler!
Runner/walkers sign up here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UAwSYSNCgv1QIvAIPirF_VgdclSY9WclNyxYLysMwPo/viewform

Volunteers sign up here (please note that Brett is hoping that those who can do the run/walk will choose that option!):
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e054ea9ad2ba57-20141

This event has a suggested donation of $10/participant (remember, this is our team fundraiser!  We never sold cookie dough!).  Current potential plans for donations include the addition of a shed on the track dedicated specifically to XC/Track and Field Equipment.

If you are not able to make the event but would like to make a donation, mail it or drop it off at the Activities Office:  Spartan 5K, 1420 11th Ave SE, Rochester, MN  55902.

It would be super-fun to have the runners recruit their non-XC friends to participate in this activity as well!  Encourage them to spread the word!

Also...random comment...Great Harvest made my day today when they agreed to donate race rolls.  I did not expect to get them as a donation because ordinarily businesses expect at least a month in order to consider the request!  Shout out to Great Harvest!!

State Meet

First of all, a warm congratulations to Chad Couser for qualifying for the State Meet!  A quick explanation:  These teams are in our section 1AA:  Albert Lea, Austin, Century, Faribault, Farmington, Hastings, JM, Kasson-Mantorville, Lakeville North, Lakeville South, Mayo, Northfield, Owatonna, Red Wing, Winona, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa/Kenyon-Wanamingo.  Our Section is determined by the size (AA) and geographical location (1) of the schools.  Some of these teams we see often during the season and some we see very little.  It is worth noting that we are up against the top competition in our area -and remember, you essentially have to finish in the top 8 to qualify for State!

Regarding State...November 1 at St. Olaf in Northfield.  This is a fantastic day!  If you have the time, take a run up to the campus and enjoy this huge event.  It is super-fun and Chad will love to have your support!  (You can also cheer for Century Boys, Aly Welch from Century Girls, and Emma Christensen from JM Girls while you are there, congrats to them!)
In the past, there have been years when they have taken a fan bus up to the meet.  I am not aware what this year's status is but I do believe that interest is a huge part of the reason that this would happen.  More information should be available about this soon!

Team Photos

Cross Country Team Photos??
Click here!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152710744636823.1073741967.66751116822&type=1

Sections

Hey, everyone!!
Pasta feed Wednesday at Noodles immediately following practice!

Sections is back in Owatonna...the race times (from the Owatonna Big 9 site):
3:00 Girls JV
3:30 Boys Varsity
4:00 Girls Varsity
4:30 Boys JV

Who qualifies for state?  (From the MSHSL Rules and Regulations)
The top 2 teams from each section
The top 8 finishers...who are NOT from the top 2 teams...in other words, if you qualify as a team member, you have already qualified.  8 unattached runners from each section also get to run at State.

State XC Meet will be Saturday, November 1 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.