Boys' XC: Lessons In Greatness

Under the team tent at Portland Meadows in Oregon, covered in both mud and disappointment, the Shaker boys cross country team trudged away from the national championships after the best season the Bison had ever known. The squad won its first state title ever — the first in Coach Ed Springstead’s 53 years as head coach.

But the state meet became the pinnacle of the season. The Bison struggled to the finish line over the next three races. In every way, last year was a learning experience for Shaker.

"Honestly, I think if anything it actually helped," senior Mike Libruk said about the way the Bison’s season ended. "Yeah, we felt sour at the end of the season. But looking back at it now, it got us in the right mindset. We're not young anymore. We kind of know what to expect in those races."

The team looked tired while it won the Federation championship. Then Shaker took an upset loss to Fayetteville-Manilus on the chin at the NXN Northeast Regional, followed by a painful 13th-place showing at Nike Cross Nationals. Before that the Bison were one of the hottest teams in the country, going into nationals ranked No. 8 in the country.

They had also pulled off a win in the boys' Eastern States Championship at the Manhattan Invitational, a victory that catapulted the squad onto the national scene. Then there was the emergence of Christian Delago, a formidable half-miler who the team hoped would shore up the top five. Instead Delago and his furious closing kick sprinted his way to the lead role on the team, becoming the squad's No. 1. Shaker had become a solid team with veteran moxy and a dangerous rookie leading the way.

But as much as Delago was learning in front, his team was on the same learning curve, climbing the national rankings. Delago said his team, who is returning four of its top five, will be ready in late November and into December this time.

"We're not young anymore," Delago said. "We know what to expect in those races. We can carry ourselves better. We can prepare ourselves for that, hoping that won't happen. Breakdowns like that won't happen."

Regardless of how the season ended last year, Shaker displayed all the pieces of a championship team: a balanced squad, strong front runners, a formidable ace in Delago and a veteran coach in Springstead. Now they also have experience. The four returners, led by Delago, Libruk and Jon Vallecorsa. They've also added senior Ethan Hausaman, a solid two-miler, who should make the top seven.

"We have 10 guys that can make the varsity on any team in the state," Delago said. "The maturity is definitely there. I think we know what we're doing this time around."

Shaker didn't just make a name for itself by running through the competition last year. The Bison made a point to display togetherness. The team has eight members of the varsity together at the Green Mountain Running Camp in Vermont right now. Last year, Shaker tried to conduct interviews with the entire team present after races and even wore the same socks. And in races were the Bison walked in as favorites, the team not only thought of itself as underdog, it raced like it as well.

"We've done a lot of growing up over the past year," Libruk said, "and I think we've really realized what it takes to be a national-caliber team."