How Do I Become Eligible to Compete?
You need to participate in a minimum of 8 practices to be eligible to race in a Cross Country Meet. There will be 13 practices before the first meet. Please plan on attending as many practices as possible. It is important that we are all fully prepared to compete.
When and Where are the Practices?
Practice begins promptly 10 minutes after school is out on the IMS Track. Please be on the track, in appropriate workout gear, running shoes laced, water bottle full. Practice will run from 3:00 pm until 4:10 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Practice will run from 1:30 pm until 2:40 pm on Early Release Wednesdays.
What if I Have to Miss a Practice?
Please email Coach Rennie if you will be out of town or are too sick to practice. Contact info is listed below.
How Do I Get Home After Practice?
If you do not have a parent picking you up, or you live too far away to walk, you can take the IMS Activity Bus. It will pick up athletes in front of the school 10 minutes after practice ends, Monday through Thursday. There is NO Activity Bus on Fridays.
How Do the Meets (Races) Work?
Each Cross Country Meet features four races: 6th Girls, 6th Boys, 7th/8th Girls, and 7th/8th Boys. The first race begins at 4:00 pm, with each subsequent race beginning about 20 minutes later. After each race, we add up the places of the five fastest runners from each school. 1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points, etcetera. The team with the lowest score wins.
Cross Country runners complete a 3 km course (that’s 1.86 miles), and each one is unique. For instance, our home course begins and ends on the track at Islander Middle School. Part of the race is on grass, part is on paved sidewalks, part is on gravel and part on the track itself!
As a team member, you are expected to travel to and compete in each of the Cross Country Meets. If you are looking for a jogging or conditioning club, then you’ve come to the wrong place!
How Can My Parents Help the XC Program?
We always need extra help at our home meets (September 24 and October 1 this year). Parents help the coaches monitor portions of the course, sort out runners at the start and finish, calculate team scores, distribute post-race snacks, etc. If your parent or guardian can help out, please have them email one of the coaches.
How Can I Contact the Cross Country Coaches?
Coach Stephen Rennie < stephen.rennie@mercerislandschools.org >
Coach Russ Skurski < russell.skurski@mercerislandschools.org >
Coach Madeleine Tessier < madeleine.tessier@mercerislandschools.org >
Coach Cindy Cole < cindy.cole@mercerislandschools.org >
Anything Else I Need to Know About IMS Cross Country?
Cross Country is about competing against yourself, working together as a team, pushing beyond your own perceived limits, and having fun along the way. If you are ready to do those four things, we are going to have a great season!