Week 1...in the books

We had a great first week of Boys Cross Country at Madison Memorial. We have 47 guys out this season and they are working hard. I'm excited for this season and hope we continue the progress that we have already seen during week 1. Guys have been putting in lots of miles, started stretching & strength routines, and even had our first workouts of the season. We have lots of work to accomplish to reach our goals but we are started in the right direction.

Remember to continue to bring a filled water bottle and mask to practice daily. Additionally, continue to be vigilant at practice and at home to use good Covid mitigation strategies...masking, social distancing, sanitizing, etc. If you have symptoms or are not feeling good...stay home and follow the MMSD protocol for return to practice. 

Each day and each week is a stepping stone for our athletes to improve upon their fitness and we hope to continually make progress over the remaining 8 - 10 weeks of the season. Take care of your bodies by stretching, eating well, hydrating, and getting good SLEEP. This week we will run our first full 5k at Intrasquad on Saturday (8/29)...excited to see where our hard work lands us this early in the season.

WEEK 2 Practice Schedule

Monday - 4:00pm - 6:15pm @ JMM

Tuesday - 4:00pm - 6:15pm @ JMM

Wednesday - 4:00pm - 6:15pm @ JMM

Thursday - 4:00pm - 6:15pm @ JMM

Friday - 4:00pm - 6:15pm @ JMM

Saturday - INTRASQUAD - 6:15 - 8:30am @ Elver

** Some upper classmen & varsity contender athletes will meet for optional morning runs...more information shared at practice

-- Planning ahead...week 3 practices will be 4 - 6:15pm with a meet on Sat (9/4) at Verona HS

Athletic Fees

The athletic fee for MMSD is $115 and can be paid starting Monday through Infinite Campus (waiver forms are also available through IC for families that qualify). Please take care of this ASAP so we are ready to compete at our meets.

Start of 2021 Season Quickly Approaches

CLOTHING ORDER 

Order Closes on Sunday Aug 22nd 

UPCOMING EVENTS & WEEK 1 PRACTICE

Sunday August 15th - 5:00pm - Team Meet & Greet @ Walnut Grove Park (Optional)
Monday August 16th - 8:00am - 10:30am - Practice @ JMM + Family/Athlete Meeting via Zoom @ 6:00pm
Tuesday August 17th - 8:00am - 10:30am - Practice @ JMM
Wednesday August 18th - 8:00am - 10:15am - Practice @ JMM + 4:00pm - 5:15pm Practice @ JMM (Strength)
Thursday August 19th - 8:00am - 10:15am - Practice @ JMM
Friday August 20th - 8:00am - 10:00am - Practice @ JMM
Saturday August 21st - 8:00am - 10:00am - Practice @ Elver (meet near Splash Pad)
** Optional afternoon runs for upperclassmen & varsity contenders...more info shared at practice

-- Planning ahead...week 2 Practices will be 4:00pm - 6:15pm Mon - Fri (Sat = Intrasquad)

PAPERWORK NEEDED

1) Athlete Questionnaire - HERE (Fill out form with contact info for coaches)
2) Online Athletic Forms - HERE
(Parents AND Athletes BOTH must complete - use Infinite Campus log-ins)
3) Physical Cards (Green or Yellow Cards)
- Green Card = physical from a doctor after April 1st 2021
- Yellow Card = Alternate year card...If you turned in a physical to JMM in 20/21 school year
- Questions...e-mail our athletics secretary Cara Hanson - cmhanson@madison.k12.wi.us
4) Watch Spartan Sports Kickoff -  (Virtual)
You can watch the recording through the MMSD Youtube page

MONDAY AUGUST 16TH @ 8:00AM - 10:30AM
1st Day of Practice - JMM Athletic Fields

Must have all your paperwork completed and turned in to participate
We will run for 30+ minutes on 1st day of practice...have your running shoes and watch
REMINDER - Everyone will need a watch this season!!!! Any watch will do coach's recommendation - Timex Ironman or Garmin 35
Bring a mask (needed for inside use)! Bring a water bottle! Bring a lock if you want to claim a locker.

** We will practice everyday regardless of the weather...plan accordingly

2021 Fall Cross Country Season

Are you interested in joining the Boys Cross Country team at Madison Memorial in the Fall of 2021?

Here are your next steps to be ready for the season start on August 16th, 2021

PAPERWORK 

1) Athlete Questionnaire - HERE (Fill out form with contact info) 

2) Online Athletic Forms - HERE
(Parents AND Athletes BOTH must complete - use Infinite Campus log-ins) 

3) Physical Cards (Green or Yellow Cards)
- Green Card = physical from a doctor after April 1st 2021
- Yellow Card = Alternate year card...If you turned in a physical to JMM in 20/21 school year

- Questions...e-mail our athletics secretary Cara Hanson - cmhanson@madison.k12.wi.us

4) Attend Spartan Sports Kickoff - July 29th (Virtual)
You can watch the recording through the MMSD Youtube page

SUMMER TRAINING  

1) Get out and RUN (training ideas HERE)  Start easy and build...consistency and confidence is the summer goal

Summer Running Group will meet at 8:00am near Memorial tennis courts Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, & Fri (park by the track/stadium)

2) JMM Speed & Strength Options - SIGN UP HERE

Speed & Strength (M/T/R/F @ 12:30pm - 2:00pm)

Yoga (W-8am)

Seek out opportunities to improve as an athlete and a runner this summer! The work you do during June, July, August will determine how well you race in October.

Last Hurrah - Memorial Tops the Field

The "Last Hurrah" was for athletes looking to get in one last cross country meet of the Alternative Fall Season. Some athletes had already transitioned to their Spring sports. Each athlete & team made decisions about what was best for them in regards to this meet. Madison Memorial brought 13 athletes to compete against Madison East & Madison West one more time at Lake Farm Park. The meet got delayed from Monday to Wednesday due to inclement weather and race day greeted us with nice Spring temperatures for one last 5k of the season. 

Our JMM guys ran aggressive today which led to some "rah's" and some "hu's" in our attempt for a hurrah...it had been a week and half since we raced and some of us were ready after the long lay off and others maybe just missed the mark. It was great to see the JMM green be aggressive and hopefully we learned from the experience if today wasn't our day. Freshman Jonathan B led our group up front and battled for the race lead settling for 2nd place with a lifetime PR and sub 19 performance of 18:57. Soph Alvaro was 3rd in 19:28. First year CC runner Charlie M (6 - 19:48) and veteran Felipe R (9 - 20:46) both scored top ten finishes with their performances on the day. Alex T (13 -21:14) rounded out our scoring 5 giving us a team total of 33 points. This was enough to out distance West (38) and East (56). It was nice to gain a team victory on the day and really took a group effort. If they had scored a JV race today (runners 8 - 14) our team would have won that race too with a score of 27 points. It was nice to see our depth come through today at this meet. Alec H, Elijah E, and Will T all ran season best times in today's race. This group worked hard all season long and were rewarded with one more beautiful day for racing cross country.

Seniors will head on to their next journey and I hope that running remains a part of their daily routine. Underclassmen will have a quick Spring season before we are right back to Summer Running and preparing for Fall CC. Our 2020(1) season was a journey of delays, virtual practices, masking, social distancing, and new routines. I don't know what the future will hold but I do know that running continues to be an opportunity and the more you run the better you become at running. I hope we can keep the momentum going with our underclassmen, add in some new teammates, and find the commitment & consistency to make our Fall 2021 CC a huge success. See you on the roads running. Every runner, every run, every day.

RESULTS
Madison City Last Hurrah Meet - HERE

**Turn in uniforms & team equipment to Coach Casey ASAP

NEWS & NOTES
- Keep an eye on your email for end of season information & summer running
- Look for opportunities to improve as an athlete and a runner
- Finish the school year strong in the classroom