Most sports are easy to judge a team’s success. You are what your record says you are. When it comes to individual sports like cross country, what does a coach look for when determining his athlete’s performance?

Head Coach Aaron Fichter doesn’t look at rankings as a true indicator of his teams’ potential, but rather how one particular runner does against an entire team from a different school, especially if they are ranked.

For example, Devon Luing’s performances in 2020 ranged from fourth to 29th. Most people would say he had his best or worst day in those instances, but Fichter sees it as who how many people he was up against, comparing it to playing a top team over and over again in rapid succession.

“Let’s say you go to a meet and there’s four really solid teams, maybe even qualifier types. Maybe you see those teams three, four, five times throughout a season. Well maybe they are better than you in that way. I mean it would be like playing the number three team in the state for football, but you play them four times in a season. I think you have to look at it from a different angle because it is different.”

Even as positions fluctuate, times don’t. Simply compare your times with others and see where you truly stack up. That’s the key to determining potential in cross country.