Flo50 Boys Team Rankings Countdown

1. How long have you been a Coach? How many of those years were at Crater?

This is my 17th year as the head boys and girls XC coach. All of them have been at Crater. When I took over, we had one girl go to state and get 91st place.

2. What is your meet schedule this fall?

Tue, Aug. 22: Lake of the Woods

Fri, Aug 25: Night Meet

Tue, Aug 29: 30th Annual Crusader XC Invitational

Sat, Sep 9: Ash Creek XC Festival

Sun, Sep 10: Pine to palm Volunteer - Sunday - TBA

Sat, Sep 16: Northwest Classic

Sat, Sep 23: Rogue XC Invite

Sat, Sep 30: Nike Portland XC

Sat, Sep 30: State of Jefferson XC Meet

Fri, Oct 6: Oxford Classic

Wed, Oct 11: 4th Annual Max King Invite

Wed, Oct 25: 5A-3 Midwestern League Championship

Sat, Nov 4: OSAA 5A State Championships

3. How has summer training gone for your team? What do you focus on during the summer months?

We have a small squad that starts around the second week in July, but our corps stays connected year round. The focus for offseason training is similar to most programs: tempo, fartleks, hills and long run.

4. Who are your team captains or leaders and what stands out about them as examples for the rest of their teammates?  

We have some upper class man leading the team this year.  We don't have a specified captain but some of these Seniors have been in a leadership role from the time they stepped on the team.

Andy Monroe, 4.0 GPA - Senior

Derek Tripp, 4.0 GPA - Senior

Jantz Tostenson, 3.98 GPA - Junior

Gabe Southmayd, 3.78 GPA - Senior

Logan Thurman, 4.02 - Senior

Erik Olsen, Senior

5. Who are some new faces who will make an impact on your team this year? (i.e. freshmen, transfers, runners who have improved a lot)

We have a strong group of sophomores that will help make an impact with a good base of mileage over their freshman year: Ryland McCullough (3.5 GPA), Gage Reed (3.6 GPA), JC Herring (4.0 GPA)

6. What are some staple workouts your team does during the season?

We do staple tempo runs through neighborhoods in Central Point (sidewalks mainly). We often travel to places and run hills, trails and Fartleks on softer surface throughout the year. Many people think we live at Crater Lake surrounded by trails and 6000 ft elevation, but we actually live in a small city that shares a border with Medford (81,000 people) at 1200 ft elevation.

7. What will be the biggest reason why your team is successful this season?

Three main reasons: Upperclassmen experience, dedication and a very cohesive group.

Some of our boys (Andy Monroe, Jantz Tostenson and Ryland McCullough) started fishing this summer and wanted me to include their first video of Northwest Bass Fishing. You can see Table rock in the background (unfortunately a couple bleeps in there because they were excited with the catch):

8. What will be the biggest obstacle or challenge facing your team this season?

 "The devil is in the details"

Our team is extremely driven, talented and experienced but our biggest weapon could be how we do the little things.

9. How would you describe your team's culture?

We're blue collar, dedicated students-athletes with a year-round focus on achievement and creating a fun and inclusive atmosphere that expects nothing less than the best.

10. What are your top three goals for the team this fall? 

(1) Success in the classroom.

(2) Working hard everyday to achieve greatness as a runner and understanding the dynamics of being a good teammate.

(3) Making the MileSplit top 10!