The results don’t necessarily matter – it’s the fact that the gun has sounded for the Central College cross-country teams.
Participating in their home meet to open the 2016 season, the Dutch men and women each finished in second place in small fields on Saturday. There were three men’s teams competing and four women’s squads. Iowa Central won both meets.
Central is racing in four meets over the first five weeks of the season. They’d normally race two. So coach Joe Dunham says that training is different this year, and the focus is on the big picture.
“It’s a little different than football, where you’ve got to come every week and win. You need wins. But with endurance training and distance running, you’re really preparing for later on in the season.”
Central’s Mark Fairley started his season with a third place showing on the men’s side, while Holly McKinney led the Dutch women with a sixth place finish.
Central will run again next Saturday at the Grinnell Invitational.