Olympia boys cross-country rides pack mentality to wins -- Observer Preps

LAKE BUTLER The concept is simple enough, but getting buy-in from athletes may not be.

It’s called “pack running,” and Stephanie Manny — who, after several years as an assistant with Olympia’s boys and girls cross-country programs, is now the head coach — wanted to see her teams implement it this fall; particularly her boys team.

“Basically, what you want to do, is you want your No. 1 and your No. 5 (runners) to finish close with each other,” Manny said. “If we can have five guys pass one runner for another team, we knock that team down five points. … We’ve been training together, and we’ve been pulling each other as a group.”

The drawback for individual runners with the strategy is that it could mean sacrificing a higher individual finish. However, once the boys saw the strategy lead them to victory at the ultra-competitive DeLand Invitational Aug. 27 to start the season — a meet that included last year’s state champion, Lyman High — they were all in.

“It proved to them, once that race was over, where we were going to take this mentality,” Manny said.

“These kids more than ever, even last year, are saying ‘we are going to states.’”

— Stephanie Manny, Olympia cross-country coach

Since that first race, Olympia’s boys also have placed first at the Hawks Speed Invitational (Sept. 10) and the Darter Invitational (Sept. 17). It has been a fast start for a team eager to advance past regionals this fall and has yielded some personal-best times for several runners.

“We’ve worked really hard this season, and I’m really proud of the team,” said John Hinkle, a senior captain. “I am a little surprised at how we’ve progressed so far, but I think we’re going to have a great season.”

The leadership of senior captains such as Hinkle, Ethan Hood and Jeremy Brinker has been invaluable to Manny in fostering a competitive environment at practice where a rising tide elevates all of Olympia’s runners.

“We have our top seven, but there are three or four (runners) — possibly five — right behind,” Manny said. “I honestly couldn’t tell you who is running in districts right now.”

It is a young team, overall, with sophomore O’Neel Occenat as the team’s No. 1 runner. More importantly, though, it is a hard-working team that has its sights set high with a pack mentality.

“I’ve been with the program for three years … this team is the hardest working team I’ve seen at Olympia High School,” Manny said. “These kids more than ever, even last year, are saying ‘we are going to states.’”

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].