Nationals Preview

Greetings fellow runners,

This Saturday is the big day. NIRCA Nationals. Everyone who has signed up and done their paperwork will get the opportunity to get out there and race against the best group of hobby joggers that exists. Pack your bags, get your sleep, do your homework, and prepare for one of the best weekends of your college experience. Here’s some important storylines to look out for this weekend.

1. NIRCA-Stache

Everyone knows, when it comes to men’s cross country, the championship mustache is a tradition unlike any other. In years past, there have been many NIRCA athletes who have excelled on the course and with their facial hair. The first case of the NIRCA-stache that I can remember was club legend Muneeb Ansari, whose legacy will be carried out by a few brave souls. JV athlete Cade Baker currently has the full entourage of facial hair, but will be trimming down to only the stache for his race, before going full baby-face. Coach Spencer Nelson has been working on his mustache despite Maddy’s protests and will wear it with pride as he and Cade try to be the best facial hair duo in the Jr. Sr. Grad. race on Saturday. Their girlfriends may not be thrilled with the mustaches, but boys just wanna have fun. Finally, Craig Engels lookalike Eldon Warner, sporting the mustache and mullet, will attempt to be the fastest mustached competitor out there (and just fastest overall) and look good doing it. That stache has been getting compliments all year, and I expect that to continue on Saturday as all the nerdy xc fanboys that make up NIRCA get the chance to watch him race.

2. Cheering Competition

It’s been sad to see this season not play out in favor of Grace Gudwien, Lauren Brunk, and Clare Oehler-O’Sullivan and unfortunately they will be sidelined on Saturday spectating. But for three of the most spirited teammates I’ve ever seen, this opens up a new opportunity for them. It may not be a competition to them, but I already know that they will be covering as much ground as possible (a bit tough on crutches but Grace will still make the most of it) and showing some of the best team spirit of any NIRCA ladies out there. Laine Hackman could also prove to be a fierce cheerer as well and provide some fantastic support to this emphatic group. Get out there and put the supporters of the other clubs to shame (especially Ohio State).

3. Nationals Raps

The old IXC tradition is to use the car ride to nationals to prepare a rap to perform in front of the team in the hotel the night before the race. This car ride is unusually short, so for the sake of time, this year you will be allowed to begin preparation for these raps ahead of time. Think of some teammates that could use a good roasting, make it rhyme, and boom! When we do superlatives at the end of the year, you will have the opportunity to crown the best rap performance of the year. Here’s some of the top contenders. Grace Gudwien has been doing it all year, commenting cute little poems on all the meet writeups. The real question is, does the cute, nice little poem writing translate well to rapping? We will find out Friday! Alex Kogen had one of the most shocking performances two years ago, it really was unforgettable. Rumor has it, he utilized a ghost writer, which cannot be proven. Will he return to perform another shocking rap? Will Nolan Enright channel his inner Pop Smoke and drop some fire bars that would make his musical hero proud? Could a freshman come out of nowhere and demolish the competition? All these questions will be answered on Friday.

4. The clash of intellectual titans

Bram Osterhout and Will Gravelle have been intellectually sparring on basically every easy run (and the occasional threshold). They cover a broad range of subjects, from economics, to the relevancy of certain holidays and beyond. This trend is expected to continue during the race on Saturday. If you are spectating and overhear a heated argument between the two of them at mile three, know it’s all in good spirits and part of their racing strategy. They will look to pull others into their argument and tire them out. At the same time, they will both still be attempting to win the argument. Who will win? Who will run faster? Only time will tell.

I’m really excited for this weekend, and I hope you all are as well. On top of these storylines, there are many more to follow. Everyone on this team has their own story, their own goals, and unique setbacks, struggles, and victories to reach them. Everyone’s story is important to them, and shapes who they are. Use your time in hotels and cars to learn about your teammates and their stories so that you can be a better teammate and best support them as they go about finishing the 2021 cross country season chapter in their story. And for each of you reading this, remember that although you may not be able to control everything about your story, you have the biggest influence on how it goes. The choices you make, the mindset you have, and the people you surround yourself with all change your story. Control what you can and get out there and make this the best possible ending for this chapter in your life.

Love,

Jeffrey <3