The Woodberry Harrier 2010: Volume 7

The time left....

The final hymn seniors sing in the Woodberry Chapel is Tree of Wisdom. The final verse, sung only by the sixth form, begins, “This is my ending; this, my resurrection, ” and I am thinking about this line as we rapidly approach the ending of a season which has turned out to be my resurrection as a runner after being injured all last year.   Only two weeks remain until the seniors’ final meet ever, with exception of Kevin and possibly Matt,  and  I can speak for all six of us when I say that even now we fantasize about the spring trimester, summer, and college,  and sometimes we beg for them to come sooner.  But when I catch myself wishing this, I recall a recent conversation with my father.  In one of his routine Honor Code reminders,  he added a phrase he heard from a college admissions officer during Parents Weekend:  “Don’t wish your senior year away.  Cherish the time you still have left there.”   This quote is very relevant to these next couple weeks. We six seniors may feel ready to light the graduation cigars, say our goodbyes, and head to the beach, but that is still far away.  Now we must live fully in these last two weeks, even when staying focused is becoming difficult.   As I look back on the past two years, I feel nostalgic about my cross country career. I began cross country as a fourth former with many doubts about running. I now realize that I needed this team. From the dreaded Bath County training camp to the State Championship twice in a row, this team has been a second family to me. We have had so many rich experiences that have united us as the truest kind of  team.  And now winning States again, the goal that seemed unattainable at camp, seems to lie within a long arm’s reach. Trinity has been the talk of the state this season with their incredible wins and fast times, but our team just came close to matching them in Friday’s race.  A three-peat for the VISAA certainly won’t be easy and we are the underdogs, but we have more heart than Trinity or any other team, and if the strength of the bond has anything to do with it, I know we have the advantage.   Guys, let’s cherish what time we have left as a team, finish out these final two weeks, and end this season as Prep and State Champs. Seniors, this is our ending. Let’s make it our legacy.

-Thomas Garrison ‘11

Thanks, Thomas.   I love the line from that old hymn, and though we have had a wonderful season in so many ways, Friday's last home meet here did feel like a resurrection.   It was our annual lower course meet against FUMA, and  it was the first time all season we had everyone running but Kevin (who was on that very day talking about feeling ready to try running a few steps).  It was yet another fall day which was so lovely it it made you sad to know the sun would set .   C.S. Lewis talks aboout being "surprised by joy" in those times when we encounter such beauty that we long for heaven.   Friday was one of those days.   And it was as if the very atmosphere had infused the team, as if they were breathing heavenly ether instead of sublunary vapors.  They ran as if they had winged feet.  The times were so amazing that we re-measured the course three times afteward!  

Here are the results:

FUMA Dual Meet
Woodberry Lower 5k Course
October 29th,  2010
1st place out of 2 teams Top-five spread: 0:52 Top-seven spread: 1:19
Runner	Time	Place out of  18
Garrison	16:38	1st	a 66-sec. lifetime PR
Winston	16:51	2nd	a 48-sec. lifetime PR
Trudgeon	16:58	3rd	a 37-sec. lifetime PR
Laws	17:17	4th	a 29-sec. lifetime PR
Shelton	17:30	5th	a 48-sec. lifetime PR
Evans	17:54	7th	under 18:00 in his 2nd race of the season!
Grantham	17:57	8th	a 24-sec lifetime PR
Rafield	18:06	11th	an 11-sec lifetime PR
Flynn	18:07	12th	a 30-sec. season PR
Exum	18:35	14th	a 58-sec. season PR
Gimbert	19:01	16th
Bennert	DNR	DNR