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MileSplit is going around the country talking to top coaches of the nation's best high school cross country programs for some inside info on their squad's success and what to look forward to this coming season from them.</p>
How many years have you been coaching high school cross country (and at your current school)?
Approximately 20+ years. All at North Central.
What do you attribute as the main reasons for the success of your program?
Hard work, a little luck along the way.
What would be the best way to describe your style and philosophy of coaching and working with high school runners?
We try to teach the big picture about the importance of family, community, relationships and making the most of the life each day; running is an excellent vehicle for teaching these values.
There is more than one way to skin a cat, as they say, but whichever approach is taken, you have to work hard to be successful.
4
Who is your projected top 7 heading into the cross country season?
Tanner Anderson, Justin Janke, Andrew Vandine, Sam Sjoberg; after that I have about 8 kids with a reasonable shot at making the top 7. Things will start to firm up once fall practice begins and we see where guys are at.
Tanner Anderson is our top returner and a key team captain. He's a happy-go-lucky kind of guy and sets a great example of simply enjoying the process of working out and being fit.
The following have show improvement and have a good shot to fill in the missing 3 varsity spots: Seniors Zach Skalstad, Caleb Landron, and Liam Taylor; Juniors MIca Jones and Gabe Meek; Sophs. Jacob Christner, Ryan Frostad,and Hank Knight,
No freshman standouts at this point; no transfers (but maybe one of these years . . .)
Tracy Walters; Bob Firman; Richland Invite
Finding a 5th man that can compete at the state/regional/national level.
We have two strong front runners and a couple solid middle pack types; need to find a 5th man.
We do a very hilly 2.7 mile time trial the first week of practice followed by a BBQ with guest speaker.
We do a lot of 5-6 mile tempos on dirt roads/trails in a forested park near our school.
We like to do fartlek workouts toward the end of the season.
We aspire to win the Washington State 3A title, qualify for NXN, and be in the hunt for a trophy at NXN. We'll see how it goes.
Photos by Gary Paulsen
7-time qualiifiers for the big dance known as the Nike Cross Nationals, the North Central (WA) boys had an incredible 1-2 punch last year in 2013 NXN individual champ Kai Wilmot and Washington state champ Tanner Anderson, but this year will have to learn to rely less on that front running duo with Wilmot now graduated and look to shore up the back end of their top 5 to be an even greater force. Despite having two of the top three finishers in last year's Nike Cross Nationals, North Central finished 8th which was a step back from their 3rd place finish in 2012. With an NXN individual favorite Anderson (4:13 1600/8:56 3200) back to lead them again, the North Central boys also saw two runners in Justin Janke (9:05 3200) and Andrew Vandine (4:13 1600) really step up during the track season and look together to fill the big shoes left by the graduated Wilmot.
Top 7 Returnees Times : 5K XC - 3200m - 1600m
Top 7 Returnees from 2013 XC Season (5K Times)
| North Central High School (WA) | ||
| 1) Tanner Anderson | 14:44.83 | |
| 2) Justin Janke | 15:45.95 | |
| 3) Andrew Vandine | 15:51.15 | |
| 4) Sam Sjoberg | 16:16.09 | |
| 5) Micah Jones | 16:52.78 | |
| Average Time: 15:54.16 Total Time: 1:19:30.80 1-5 Split: 2:07.95 | ||
| 6) Liam Taylor | 17:22.00 | |
| 7) Zach Skalstad | 17:33.96 | |
Top 7 Returning 3200m Times from 2014 Outdoor Season
| North Central High School (WA) | ||
| 1) Tanner Anderson | 8:56.80 | |
| 2) Justin Janke | 9:05.50 | |
| 3) Sam Sjoberg | 9:27.42 | |
| 4) Jacob Christner | 9:58.03 | |
| 5) Hank Knight | 10:05.29 | |
| Average Time: 9:30.61 Total Time: 47:33.04 1-5 Split: 1:08.49 | ||
| 6) Austin Anderson | 10:09.79 | |
| 7) Zach Skalstad | 10:19.44 | |
Top 7 Returning 1600m Times from 2014 Outdoor Season
| North Central High School (WA) | ||
| 1) Tanner Anderson | 4:13.00 | |
| 2) Andrew Vandine | 4:13.92 | |
| 3) Justin Janke | 4:19.64 | |
| 4) Austin Anderson | 4:25.24 | |
| 5) Sam Sjoberg | 4:29.28 | |
| Average Time: 4:20.22 Total Time: 21:41.08 1-5 Split: 16.28 | ||
| 6) Jacob Christner | 4:38.83 | |
| 7) Zach Skalstad | 4:43.25 | |
Q&A with North Central (WA) High School head XC coach Jonathan Knight
How many years have you been coaching high school cross country (and at your current school)?Approximately 20+ years. All at North Central.
What do you attribute as the main reasons for the success of your program?
Hard work, a little luck along the way.
What would be the best way to describe your style and philosophy of coaching and working with high school runners?
We try to teach the big picture about the importance of family, community, relationships and making the most of the life each day; running is an excellent vehicle for teaching these values.
What are your core beliefs in your training plan and workouts for your cross country squads?
There is more than one way to skin a cat, as they say, but whichever approach is taken, you have to work hard to be successful.
How many runners do you return from your top 7 from a year ago?
4
Who is your projected top 7 heading into the cross country season?
Tanner Anderson, Justin Janke, Andrew Vandine, Sam Sjoberg; after that I have about 8 kids with a reasonable shot at making the top 7. Things will start to firm up once fall practice begins and we see where guys are at.
Who are your team captains or leaders and what stands out about them as examples for the rest of their teammates?
Tanner Anderson is our top returner and a key team captain. He's a happy-go-lucky kind of guy and sets a great example of simply enjoying the process of working out and being fit.
Who have you been most impressed or surprised with their improvement and/or fitness from their summer training?
The following have show improvement and have a good shot to fill in the missing 3 varsity spots: Seniors Zach Skalstad, Caleb Landron, and Liam Taylor; Juniors MIca Jones and Gabe Meek; Sophs. Jacob Christner, Ryan Frostad,and Hank Knight,
Any impactful freshmen or transfers to join the team this season?
No freshman standouts at this point; no transfers (but maybe one of these years . . .)
What are the top invitational meets that your team will be attending this season?
Tracy Walters; Bob Firman; Richland Invite
What will be the biggest obstacle or challenge facing your team this season?
Finding a 5th man that can compete at the state/regional/national level.
What will be the biggest reason why your team is successful this season?
We have two strong front runners and a couple solid middle pack types; need to find a 5th man.
What is a favorite annual or common pre-season workout or run for your team?
We do a very hilly 2.7 mile time trial the first week of practice followed by a BBQ with guest speaker.
What is a favorite annual or common mid-season workout for your team?
We do a lot of 5-6 mile tempos on dirt roads/trails in a forested park near our school.
What is a favorite annual or common championship season or end-of-season workout for your team?
We like to do fartlek workouts toward the end of the season.
What are your top 3 goals for this year's squad?
We aspire to win the Washington State 3A title, qualify for NXN, and be in the hunt for a trophy at NXN. We'll see how it goes.