Clarke County Cross Country Following the Path to Success
Clarke County Cross Country
Following the Path to Success!
Meet the Clarke County Cross Country team. In 2004 the boys and girls team both won single A state titles. In 2005 the boys and girls team won the single A state title. Simon Biddle-Snead returns as the 2004 and 2005 individual boys' cross country state champ. They return the 2004 individual girl's cross country state champion in Danielle Moyer. If that is not enough the coaching staff and team feel that they will be a better team in 2006! Look out area runners!
Coach Specht has been coaching Cross Country at Clarke County for eleven years and feels that this season could be their best yet. "It will be hard for our kids to match last season's accomplishments. The boy's team won the state title by 70 points and the girls team won their title by 60 points. But with all that being said I feel that we are in better shape this season than in the previous years," says Specht.
The Clarke County Cross Country team is developing a tradition that has brought the entire running community together. Coach Specht takes great pride in the fact that the cross country team has developed a strong bond between the team, the team's families, and the entire town of Berryville. I asked Coach Specht what she enjoys most about her team and she responded, "I enjoy the fact that kids love to excel and I benefit as a coach by providing them an avenue in which to succeed."
It takes talent to win in sports but it also takes quality coaching which Clarke County has in Coach Specht and Assistant Coach Dustin Sweeney. Coach Sweeney has been with Clarke for the past three years and he has been a major reason for Clarke County's recent dominance. "Our kids train really hard but most importantly they train smart. Each runner on our team has an individualized training schedule to meet their physical abilities and needs," says Sweeney. The training model used at Clarke County is set up for the runners to be in their prime for the senior season and so far that has proven to be effective. A daily training schedule would be a sixty minute run broken down in three stages. The stages are timed and gradually increase in intensity and speed.
Clarke County has several talented runners in their program. Three girls that will be a major factor to the girls' success are Danielle Moyer, Erin Broy, and Sophia Holmes. All three girls placed in the top ten last season at the state meet. Broy is a sophomore who displays amazing talent and will look to improve this season. Holmes was sidelined last season briefly with a broken toe but made a courageous return to help the girls accomplish their goal of winning states. Danielle Moyer has been an individual state champ as a freshman and returns for her junior season in hopes of improving in her times. "My sophomore season I placed sixth at states but I improved my time by sixteen seconds so I was pleased with my performance," states Moyer. Moyer is hoping to help the Eagles' goal of becoming the three time girls' single A Cross Country Champ.
The boys' team will be led by two time state champion Simon Biddle-Snead. The talented senior has worked very hard to improve on his storied career. Biddle-Snead started running cross country in middle school as a hobby; that hobby has turned into a passion. " I enjoy cross country because I like to challenge myself and see how far I can push the limits both physically and mentally," says Biddle-Snead. Coach Sweeney feels "In 2006 you can expect Simon Biddle-Snead to compete with any runner in the state regardless of their school classification."
Gameday Magazine wishes the Clarke County Cross Country team good luck in their quest to become three time state champions!
