Bulldogs Will Strive To Maintain Mental Toughness

DAYTON - With a small, young cross country team this fall season, coach Dan Nechodom expects his Bulldog runners to keep their heads in the competi­tion this season.

Nechodom has six runners this fall, three girls and three boys. One more boy has revealed some interest in participating and may join the team, he said. Two of the runners are in junior high. There are no team captains.

And with just one return­er, freshman Austin Krekula, Nechodom is excited for a young team he can mold into a group of great runners.

While the team has a goal of "not losing," they joked last Thursday morning, Nechodom, the cross country coach now for nine years, reminded them that was a tad unrealistic. Dayton fielded a small team in 2011 as well and none of its runners made it too far in competition.

In 2011, Dayton's Micah Yeater placed 24th at districts and Samura Miller placed 49th, not high enough for either of them to qualify for state.

This year, Nechodom will focus on getting his team to put in the effort he knows they can.

"I want people to learn to develop a sense of mental and physical toughness," he said.

School begins on Aug. 28 for Dayton and Nechodom and his team have been gearing up for the sports season by simply adjusting their bodies to running again.

"This is the body adjustment phase," he said. "Most people don't get to run a lot over the summer. My goal is to not kill them."

So far, the team hasn't suf­fered from any injuries, only soreness. Krekula, the team's returner, said he is a bit worried about running the extra 1.5 miles compared to junior varsity meets. But, he's just hoping for fast times at the high school level.

"I want to do as best as I can in the high school area this year," Krekula said.

Nechodom reminded Kreku­la that a runner's performance is mental - meaning positive thinking and focused attention on the competition will yield great results. In addition to focusing on competition, the team will be working on building core strength to make it handle the stresses of running on the body, Nechodom said.

The team has been running about 2 to 2.5 miles each practice and throwing in some form work and core work.

"They're not ready to go much farther than that," he said.

Nechodom, only having prac­ticed with the group for four days, said he doesn't yet know who will be a standout on the team or how the group will do this season. But, he believes this young team may have an advan­tage over last year's group.

"I haven't had a chance to see enough," Nechodom said. "In terms of men­tal focus, I think we're going to be more competitive. They're younger with not as many distractions."

The team's first meet is Sept. 8 at Chief Timo­thy Park.

Dayton Cross Country Roster

Kiara Biggar

Tim Ihle

Austin Krekula

Ally Chapman

Alexis Walker

Zech Bryan