Archive: Sports

Some describe a runner’s high as a feeling of intense satisfaction where all of your senses are at their height. It’s the ultimate feeling of accomplishment. I’ve come to realize that there is also something known as a coach’s high. This is the same intense feeling of accomplishment that you only get when you coach a team like Lansing. Not only does the team succeed in racing, they succeed in making each other feel accomplished, important and like a family. That’s what keeps them strong and that is why I could not ask for a better group of runners.


I can say this because this season every single athlete on the modified team, boys JV and varsity and girls varsity team gave me that feeling of a coach’s high. They outperformed themselves at each meet, supported each other when they couldn’t run because of injury, and worked together to win Divisionals for both boys and girls and concluded by sending four members to States.


As a coach I couldn’t have been more proud of a team. At Sectionals last Thursday, November 5, the teams continued to work together even with individual qualifications on their minds. The girls raced first, however because of illness, one of the year’s most improved runner’s, Casey Phlegar, was unable to run. Still the girls were able to have a complete team because junior Neila Thomas was stepped up to run at this meet. An injury this summer kept her out for over half the season. Despite this, she was still able to come back beat her time of last year by five seconds (26:26).

Emily Rasmussen, an 8th grader who stepped up to varsity earlier this year, also helped the team take 4th,  behind Newark Valley, Chenango Forks and Watkins Glen with one of her season best times of 25:03. Senior Chloe Ryan did her best while fighting illness and finished 3rd for Lansing with a time of 22:42. The battle for States could not have been won if teammates Shanna Swanson (21:00) and Kathryn Shaw (21:02) had not worked together to make that happen. They flew through the course, passing girls from Newark Valley, Southern Springs and Trumansburg taking 6th and 7th overall and earning a place at the state meet. Both girls ran personal best times for the season, improving with a combined time of nearly four minutes from last weeks IAC Championship. The team captured 4th place overall.


This was the last race as team for the seven seniors of the boys team. These athletes have worked together throughout their high school careers and have grown to become known in the section for their talent and sportsmanship. Stepping up to run for  varsity was freshman Michael Cree who grew from being a short distance sprinter to an athlete who to a ran one of his best times of the season (20:13). Senior Dan Comisi improved throughout the season and continued to show his determination by running one of his best times of 19:30, placing 6th for the team.


Seniors George Wigsten, Eddy Potter, and Luke Davis pushed themselves as teammates, trying to secure a top place in the section and all running within 15 sections of each other. Wigsten placed 22nd (18:49), Davis placed 20th (18:46), and Potter placed 18th (18:36). Wigsten improved his time by nearly a minute from the 2008 race, while Davis also sliced thirty seconds off his previous section race time. Seniors Josh Barber and Jon Cleveland battled against section winner Newark Valley and runner up Chenango Valley  for a place at  States and captured the 2nd and 3rd spots for the State meet. Both athletes improved their times by over 15 seconds from last years meet, Barber running 17:11 followed by Cleveland in 17:13. This year’s State meet will be held at SUNY Plattsburg on Saturday, November 14th.

It is also important to recognize those who, although they did not run at this meet, their spirit, motivation and spectator support was heard throughout the entire race site. Manager Hannah McKinney and Sophomore Meghan Mapes were at mile markers, taking times, cheering on all athletes and having fun in the process. Yusong Liu, Tom Alexander and Alex Rogers were infectious while blowing our spirited conch as a horn that could be heard miles away. Without the spirit and enthusiasm of this team, LXC would not be what it is today.

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