“”””The Dowling Project

Dowling Catholic

X-Country

The Bobcat Invitational

September 12, 2013

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hotos from this season can be seen and

purchase later this season at

www.jkirby.photostockplus.com

Our Next Meet

Saturday September 21

Heartland Classic Ames, Iowa

NCAA Championship Course Details to Follow

Entire Team

The Following Week

Thursday September 26

Indianola Invite Picard Park

(All Non-Varsity Runners)

Saturday September 28

The Roy Griak Invitational University of Minnesota in Minneapolis

(Varsity only)

Down the Road Thursday October 3

The Bishop Austin memorial pro-am invitational…for the cure

Des Moines Menace Practice Facility

Dowling Catholic Girls X-Country FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

The XC Times

Dowling Catholic “”The Dowling Project”

The  Bobcat  Invitational  September 12, 2013

Tonight’s Preview Tonight’s meet will be several in a line of very competitive races for us. We will face some of the best in the state. Last year’s team champion Pleasant Valley, Waukee, Roosevelt, Ankeny Centennial and Urbandale. It will be a good view of how we sit in the mix at this point in the season. Freshmen/Sophomore Race We have traditionally taken our next fastest seven runners and entered them in the JV race, regardless of their grade. In tonight’s Fresh/Soph race keep an eye on sophomore Juliette Kennedy, as she is ready for a breakout season. Also, sophomore Meagan Halliwell will continue to surprise as she demonstrates her “Little Engine That Could” method of competing. Meagan is one of the toughest kids on our team. Junior/Senior Race Today, Freshmen: Jillian Jagger, Allie McLuen and Olivia Denkinger and sophomore Caroline Warmuth move up to JV as our second seven. Junior Shannon “Beyoncé” Beh who is having an incredible summer of training will join them. Our beloved senior Addie Schumacher who is back running again after such a tough illness and injury riddled 2012 season. Addie brings so much to our team and even though she is till working hard to get back to the level she once was, we are so lucky to have her back with us. Junior Claire Hartlieb rounds out our second seven, but don’t forget Jeanie Gookin who had a great race at Urbandale and is hungry for more! The Varsity Race Tonight we will see how we measure up with some of the best in the state. Karissa Schweizer continues to run brilliantly and will contend for the individual championship. Jenny Luksan, Hannah Thomas, Erin Cahalan and Ellen Sullivan have had a great week of practice and are can’t wait to show the state the depth of our team. Possibly the brightest part of our summer has been the emergence of freshman C. Vivian Broderick. Vivian was fourth overall in her first high school meet last week, running cautiously, but look out this week as we are going to let the reins out and see what she can do.

“"Find though she but little, she is fierce”

William Shakespeare

Nicole Svendsen

As   someone  who   did  not   grow  up  with   cross-­‐country  my  entire   life,   I   think   I've  gotten  to  enjoy  what   I've  stumbled  upon  even  more.  Being   free   to   choose  my  own  path   in   a  high  school  sports  and  hopefully  onto  college,  I  often  think  about  what  if  I  had  stayed  in  swimming.  Truthfully  if  I  had  stayed   in   Jacksonville,   Florida   that's   probably  what   I'd   be  doing  now.    Having   moved   around   a   lot   I   found   friends   in   many  activities   outside   of   school.   My   closest   friends   in   Florida  were  members  of  my  swim  club.  I  believe  that  when    I  moved   here   I   found   that   same   sort   of   friendship   in   the  people  I  ran  with  in  track  and  cross-­‐country.  I  became  fully  emerged   in   the  sport  and  started  to   love  it.  It's  caused  its  share   of   hard   times   and   rough   seasons,   but   it   has   also  been   a   source   of   amazing   memories   in   which   I'll   never  forget.  

 I’ve  been  lucky  enough  to  have  great  leaders  such  as  Kayla  Snyder  who  was  such  a  great  inspiration.     Tanelle   Berard   showed   me   how   to   aspire   to   be   an   amazing   runner.   Allie  Vaughan  and  Diane  Hubbell  taught  me  how  to  have  fun  with  their  random  singing  and  all  the  funny  moments  we  shared  along  with  the  need  to  be  focused  and  serious  at  the  right  times.  Vanessa  Miller  and  Erin  Boggess  showed  me  what  it  truly  means  to  be  a  leader.  The  people  that  I've  grown  up  in  running  with  and  those  I  continue  to  meet  and  surround  me  now   have   made   my   four   years   of   XC   truly   memorable.   The   joys   of   the   team;   state  championships,   regionals,   nationals,   state   track   freshman   year   and   the   Drake   Relays  sophomore  year  when  we  qualified  5  people   in   the  3000.  These  are  some  of   the  obvious  joys  just  joys,  yet  I've  had  so  many  other  joys  everyday.      As  I  enter  my  senior  year  of  cross-­‐country  we  have  a   goal,   “To   come   back   from   last   year   to   show  people   that  we  are  better   than   last   year.   That  we  are   still   a   talented   group   of   girls.”   We   come   to  practice,   everyone   works   hard   and   we   still   find  ways  to  have   fun.  A  state  championship   is  nothing  if  we  don't  have  a  little  fun  along  the  way,  enjoying  our  time  together  and  enjoying  the  road  as  it  takes  us  to  conference,  districts  and  state.    Editors   Note:   Nicole   is   one   of   the   toughest   kids   I  know!    I  don’t  know  any  athlete  who  would  choose  to,  or   even   could   tolerate   the   things   that   Nicole   has  endured  just  to  keep  her  on  her  feet  and  participating  in  her  sport.    Seriously,  how  can  you    be  a  cross-­‐country  runner  and  literally  be  allergic  to  air  like  Nicole  is.    But  look  out  this  year!    When  the  pollen  count  is  low  and  the  stars  finally  line  up,  Nicole  will  be  up  toward  the  front  shocking  the  world!    

Middle School XC Wrap!  The   Dowling's   Middle   School   Cross  Country   Team   traveled   to   Johnston   last  Tuesday   to   kick-­‐off   their   2013   campaign.  Hot   weather   delayed   the   start   by   90  minutes   but   that   didn't   prevent   the   team  from   running   "hot"   times.   Dowling   took  the   title   in   the   10-­‐team   meet   with   an  impressive  score  of  39.  Ankeny  Centennial  was  second  with  89  points.  

 Individually,   Janey   Meilander   won   the  event,   7  Dowling   runners  placed   in   the  top   18   overall,   5   of   the   top   seven  runners   are   7th   graders,   20   of   the   28  Dowling   runners   set   new   2   mile   PR's  (Personal   Records).   Great   team   effort  by  the  Maroons.    Editor’s  Note:  Wow!  If  you  were  unable  to   attend   the   middle   school   meet   you  missed   quite   a   display   of   talent,  toughness  and  enthusiasm.    We  are  so    lucky  to  have  the  middle  school  XC  coaches  that  we  have!    Coach  Storts  and  his  staff  bring  so  much  wisdom  and  spirit  to  our  program.    The  fruits  of   their   coaching   show  more   and  more   each  meet.    Our   program   is   in  good  hands  and   the  future   for  Girls  XC  at  Dowling  Catholic   is   so  bright  WE  HAVE  TO  WEAR  SHADES!!!!!        

Next   week   we   head   to   the   Valley  Invitational  on  Tuesday.  

“The Dowling Project”

From  the  Other  side  of  the  Ropes      Jodie  Cahalan  

 The  first  time  cross  country  came  up  as  a  possible  sport  for  Erin,   she  was   getting   set   to   enter   the   seventh   grade   and  was   still   feeling   around   for   the   sport   or   activity   for   her.    She   was   or   had   been   actively   involved   in   a   variety   of  activities,  from  musical  endeavors  in  show  choir  and  band,  to  acting  and  singing  in  the  school  musicals,  cheerleading,  track  and  eight  years  of  dance.    As  middle  school  girls  are  prone   to   do,   when   I   first   asked   Erin   if   she   might   be  interested   in  exploring  cross-­‐country,   she   first  had   to  find  out   if  anyone  else  from  her  school  was  going   to  go.    That  first  day,  I  remember  driving  three  girls  from  Sacred  Heart  to  the  first  exploratory  practice.    I  was  a    

little  worried  when  the  other  two  declined  to  go  back  for  the  second  day,  but  Erin  was  hooked  and  it  no  longer  mattered  that  she  was  the  only  one  of  her  classmates  participating.  

 That  seems  like  so   long  ago.    She’s  run  many  miles,  gone   through  more  pairs  of  shoes  than   I  can  remember,  and  has  continued  to  grow  both  as  an  athlete  and  also  as  a  person.    Not  being  able   to   finish   her   eighth   grade   cross   country   season   due   to   a   stress   fracture   and   lingering  injuries  during   track   that   same  year,   took  not   only   a  physical,  but   also  a  mental   toll   that,   as  many  of  you  have  also  experienced,  is  difficult  for  all  involved.    I  know  it  was  a  bit  intimidating  for  her,  having  lost  so  much  of  her  confidence,  to  head  into  high  school  and  join  a  team  of  such  a  high  caliber.    It  was  so  exciting  for  her,  and  us,  to  see  her  competitive  spirit  and  confidence  rebound  by  interacting  with  such  a  great  group  of  athletes  and  coaches.       She  had  found  her  support  group,  those  who  were  with  her  mile  after  mile  and  who  stuck  by  her  outside  of  the  sport   as  well.     Unlike   some  of   her   other   activities,   there  was   relatively   very   little   drama   to  contend  with  in  cross-­‐country—the  girls  simply  ran  and  supported  each  other.          The  discipline  required  to  be  committed  to  a  sport  and  team  has  also  had  a  positive  effect  on  Erin   outside   of   the  sport   as  well.    While   it  had   always   been   difficult   to   get   Erin   to   focus  on  studying  after  school  previously,  once  she  hit  high  school,  it  was  a  completely  different  story.    I  can  only  attribute  this  to  the  sense  of  discipline  it  takes  to  compete  in  this  sport  and  a  positive  side  effect   is   that   it   has   trickled   into   other   parts   of  her   life  as  well.    Not   getting  home  until  nearly  dinnertime  each  night  leaves  very  little  time  for  messing  around,  and  she  has  become  a  dedicated  student  as  well  as  athlete.    It  was   fun   to  see  her  gain  her  confidence  one  race  at  a  time  and   to   improve  throughout  her  freshman   season.     As   her   sophomore   season   gets   underway,   she   and   the   rest   of   her  teammates  remain  in  our  prayers  as  we  pray  for  the  safety  and  health  of  each  of  them.    It  is  a  relief   that   we   are   blessed   with   the   sage   coaching   and   training   offered   by   Father   Kirby   and  Coach  Parriott  to  our  girls.     I’m  glad   that  Erin  has  so  many  positive  role  models   in   the  upper  classmen  and  even  the  graduates  of  the  program  who  show  up  to  support  the  girls.    These  girls  seem  to  get  it—even  though  each  of  them  must  run  the  race,  this  is  a  team  sport  and  they’re  in  this  together.          

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NOT AN OFFICIAL COURSE MAP!!!

THIS IS A VERY GENERAL LOOK AT THE COURSE TO GIVE YOU A