Bison  Cross  Country  Team  Rankings

Rankings  are important to runners as well as coaches in determining their position on the team.  As state gets closer this becomes even more important in helping coaches decide which runners will make the state team.  Just like in a cross country a low score as your total rank is the best.  For state generally the top nine runners make the trip.  The top seven runners will run the race and the next two are alternates.  But just because you are an alternate doesn't mean you won't be running the race.  Generally about a third of the time, due to injury, illness, or some other unforeseen circumstance one of the alternates ends up running the race.  So if you are an alternate we want you to approach the week before state as if you are training to race on Saturday, because you actually might be. 

Earlier it was mentioned that generally the top nine runners make the state team.  However, who actually makes the team and races is the coaches' prerogative.  The rankings also help us see trends.  One runner may have started off the season on fire,   but over the last portion of the season has not run as well, at the same time another runner has improved as the season has progressed.  Together the coaches look at the trends shown in the rankings,  access all the runners' in question fitness and their ability to help the team in the state meet.  Often this is a very difficult decision to make,  because at this point of the season all the runners have worked hard for months  in order to be able to compete at state. However,  as coaches it is our job to try to have our seven best runners at the starting line on state meet Saturday.

We wish everyone the best of luck.  Focus on competing against runners from other  teams, work with your teammates in a race, and the rankings will take care of themselves. Stay healthy, train smart, get plenty of sleep.