On Nov. 9, the Nike Cross Regionals were held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at Yankton Trail Park. The race is a voluntary 5k that a few Gretna High School cross country runners participated in. Four Gretna boys and six Gretna girls competed. Among those runners were senior Kelsey Van Waart and sophomore Sierra Regan.
“The environment at NXR is like no other race–well, maybe other than State Cross Country, and the competition is top-notch,” Van Waart said. “This year specifically, our girls’ team got to compete in the championship race; therefore, among the best in the region, making this race just that more fun.”
Unexpectedly, on the day of their race, it snowed. The weather provided a challenge, but there was also a bright side.
“[The snow] I think it honestly just made it more fun,” Regan said. “It was the last race of the year, and it was serious, but it was also a fun time because it was my last cross country race with all of my seniors, and I think I just wanted to enjoy that more than anything.”
Cross country is often called a mental sport as well as a physical sport. The runners at NXR had to adapt to the challenge of the snow and slush.
“When signing up for a race in mid-November in South Dakota, I thought there might be a possibility that we would compete in snow, but I didn’t expect it,” Van Waart said. “This added a new mental and physical challenge to the race. However, I believe our team did a very good job at accepting the new challenge for what it was worth and doing well regardless.”
Even though the race was challenging, the runners felt that it was also an enjoyable experience.
“I think it was really fun,” Regan said. “The energy was really high. I think it was a little scary, though, because it was very slushy. There were a lot of girls who were just very excited and very, very cold. Ten degrees. It felt like seven. So it was chilly, but I think overall we had a fun time. I think I just kind of made the best of it. It was snowing, and I honestly wanted it to snow.”
During the race, the runners each have their own ways to motivate them to keep going.
“I always like to think of positive mantras during my race to make sure I stay positive while competing,” Van Waart said. “Racing 5ks is not an easy thing to do, mentally or physically, so really emphasizing the idea of positivity while racing is crucial.”
As well as what the runners say to themselves, the things the spectators say can also help motivate them.
“There were people screaming at me 24/7, so I never talked to myself,” Regan said. “I just heard screaming, and that kind of kept me going.”
The Nike Cross Regionals 5k is optional and not a part of the regular cross country season. Because of this, a big reason people sign up for it is for fun, whether they’re doing it to compete one last time or just to spend more time with their team.
“This NXR race, to me, is always for fun,” Van Waart said. “Obviously, we want to compete and do our best, but at the same time be able to enjoy the moment and the opportunity to have an additional race to the season. As our coach–Coach Waterman–told the girls and me before the race, ‘The snow makes for great memories.’ I think we truly embodied that idea when competing that day. Overall, the race went pretty well considering the conditions–ice and snow–in which we were racing. I had a great time being able to have one more race with my girls.”
