The Lakeview Bulldogs Boys Cross Country team pulled off a huge win this year at the Billy Goat Challenge Invitational. This meet took place on Saturday, August 24th at McDonald on the Woodland Park Cross Country (XC) course. There were fourteen teams in the race but the boys were focused on beating one team in particular: the Woodridge Bulldogs. Lakeview raced hard and pulled off the win on a tiebreaker beating all fourteen teams including the prestigious Bulldogs from Woodridge. The final score between the Lakeview and Woodridge Bulldogs was 54 to 54. Lakeviews 6th man Luke Whitmore beat Woodridges 6th man resulting in a victory for Lakeview.
This victory was made possible through rigorous training throughout the summer. The boys would meet every morning at 8am and begin their training for the day. Weight lifting, workouts, and training runs all encompassed the Bulldogs lives throughout the summer but in the end it was all worth it for the taste of sweet victory. This win will surely not be the last.
Although Lakeview made beating Woodridge seem easy it is a feat that cannot be understated.
The head coach of the boys Cross Country team and assistant coach of the Boys Track team Sean Voorhies estimated, “Last time we beat them (Woodridge) was probably in the late 1990s.”
Most people dread the thought of running just one mile. Altogether, the boys Cross Country team ran hundreds over the summer.
Sophomore and 8th man Nicolas Seikel gave some insight on his summer training stating, “My summer of training was productive and I was able to get a pretty good amount of miles over the summer. In total I think I got around 250-300 miles and averaged 35-40 miles a week during the summer.”
Racing can be a very nerve racking event as well as psychically tolling. It is important to stay calm and relaxed during a race which can be difficult considering you are pushing your body to its absolute limits. Keeping calm while racing is extremely important and is a skill that comes with experience and age.
Senior and 1st man Trenton Miller gave a glimpse into his mind and body revealing, “Before Billy Goat I was definitely a little nervous but I would say I was mostly excited to just go out there and compete after a long summer. During the race, physically I felt very fast and strong. Emotionally I was just very excited to be out there.”
Lakeview’s top seven runners are all seniors this year. There is no doubt that this is part of the reason for their success.
Voorhies said, “At the beginning of the summer the seniors said that they were going to win Billy Goat. Well, they did. I sometimes wonder if our program will ever have that confidence, goal-setting, and summer work-ethic that these guys put in, again. They set the example of how it’s done.”
The Billy Goat course in particular is extremely difficult. At the very end of the race there is a massive unavoidable hill that all runners must scale. Despite this obstacle hovering over the Bulldogs heads the entire race they showed no fear or trepidation and pushed through until the end.
Seikel explained, “The race itself is a really tough course with a lot of hills and has a lot of roots in the ground. The race was challenging, as well as being fun. It is always fun to be on those courses and try to improve on your time each race.”
Lakeview’s triumph over the Woodridge Bulldogs was a significant achievement, boosting the teams confidence for the rest of the season. With this newfound belief and their continued hard work in training, the future looks very promising for Lakeview!
