We have our team. We have our top Varsity seven. We are scrappy.
Coach says that no one is expecting much of our cross-country team this year. Coach is saying that Manual has all but been written off. Coach says that they are expecting things from Adam White at Notre Dame and Tim Broe from East Peoria. Coach says that we are going to surprise a lot of people this year.
We are scrappy but we have been working hard. We do jog as a amoebic blur, tumble-weeding across the modest checkered lawns of West Peoria, trotting past pumpkins and off-kiltered Perot signs performing 400 meters sprints down the trafficking runway that is Heading avenue x 8, each time, our bodies collapsing, jogging around vernal welcome matt of Madison Golf Course one final time before chuting down the 80 degree chin of Ligonier finding ourselves in the Locker room
We are scrappy. We are dotted with abacus beads in the form of human perspiration skiing down vectors of our anatomy. We are forming X’s with dyslexic fists near our waist and peeling off our shirts, stepping into the shower naked with the exception of flip-flops to avoid the fungal peril of athlete’s foot.
Even thou he sounds like a failed Dutch-Italian entrée served in a petri dish Hans Logrotto was born in Hungary and is your closest friend on the squad even though he is a sophomore. On Frosh orientation Coach was able to pick up eight additional runners all frosh, all who run between seven and a half minute mile.
Jose and Peacock are named senior co-captains. Juniors Quaynor , Beano, Leatric, sophomore Hans LaGrotto and myself round off the top varsity seven. Jose is the coolest individual you have ever met. His times no where bleed into the upper state-bound mid 15’s like he was clocking at the end of last season. He says that he is working. He says that his girlfriend moved in with him. He says that he is going through some stuff.
He never yells. He is laid back. He has the gentlest eyes I have ever seen.
He still shows up to practice and leads. For being overweight and not as agile as he was last year he still leads a crackling pace along with Peacock and yourself.
“No one is expecting much of us this year
Coach looks at me directly for a moment before pausing.
“I think you are going to surprise a lot of people this year.”
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