CROSS COUNTRY
The accolades from a team and individual standpoint were aplenty last fall for the Jones County cross country teams, whose accomplishments include being back-to-back region champions.
That success was formally recognized and celebrated last week at the annual JCHS cross country banquet with a speaker who knows quite a bit about sustained success, himself.
The event held at Gray Methodist included a meal, awards presentations and remarks by Dave Rinker. Now retired, his 23-year coaching career included coaching 95 All-Colonial Athletic Conference runners at James Madison University, 10 CAA runners of the year, six NCAA qualifiers and two All-Americans. He also coached the US senior men’s teams in the International Amateur Athletics Foundation World Cross Country Championships in Switzerland.
“I’ve been lucky enough to work at camps for years so anytime I get a chance to get on the pulpit and talk about the sport, I do it,” Rinker said. “Distance running is a special sport. It’s a different type of athlete, so the ability to impact these athletes, it means a lot.”
He also coached cross country and track at Brevard College for 15 years, guiding them to a pair of men’s junior college national titles plus three women’s and two men’s runners-up. In total, he coached 119 NJCAA All-Americans and 10 national champion athletes in cross country and track and field. Greyhounds head coach Geoff Moore was among those that he coached at Brevard. And with Rinker retired, things finally lined up for him to be able to come to Gray and speak to the JCHS runners.
“Cross country may be the purest team sport that’s out there. Of course, baseball, football and basketball, if you ask them, will give you flack for that,” Rinker said. “But as well all know, it takes five (runners to win) in cross country. My wife had a great season in Virginia coaching cross country this year, and their fifth runner didn’t have a good state meet and they lost, finished second. I’ve seen high school teams have three runners in the top 10 of the state and not finish in the top five because their three, four and five were way down. You have to keep that strength together.”
During his speech, Rinker shared gleanings from his career as well as ten key points that he has stressed to runners that he has recruited through the years. Those points were:
• Don’t make a bad day lousy
• Trainingisalifestyle
• Live each day as if it’s your last, but plan as if you will live forever
• Treatothersasyouwouldliketobe treated
• Communication: What you don’t tell me, I don’t know
• Youonlygetonechancetodothis,sodo it right
• There’s a fine line between toughness and stupidity – stay close to it, but don’t cross it
• Positiveattitudesproducepositive results, and negativity is a poison that spreads and destroys
• Thereisstrengthinapack:Itencourages us and elevates us to heights we could never reach alone
• Commitmentisthegreatestgiftthatwe can ever give to someone or to a goal. It’s easy to give and also easy to take back. True commitment is followed through when the task is easy and when it’s hard. Thursday’s event concluded with individual recognition of JCHS cross country runners. In addition, the Lady Greyhounds’ Isabella Sanchez received the Rookie of the Year Award with Emily Patat being recognized with the leadership award; Lilly Palmer being named Most Valuable Runner; Camryn Wommack received the Dedication Award; Addison Newby receiving the Desire Award as well as Scholar Athlete; Kendall Collins named Most Improved; Jordan Norman-Brown the recipient of the Determination Award; and Addison Robinson named Miss October.
For the Greyhounds, Luke Thornton was named Most Valuable Runner; Landon Steinmeyer received the Desire Award; Gavin Robinson was named Mr. October; Grady Newby received the Determination Award; Tyler Marshall was named Top Runner of the Year; Andrew Marshall received the Leadership Award; Rylan Fuller was Rookie of the Year; Keith Holcombe was most improved; and Clay Lacy was recognized with the Dedication Award.
