Panther Athletes Return to School

Fairbanks Panther cross country runners begin to get their "grass feet" under them by combing the home course.

Wednesday, August 17th, 2022: AP—Today, on the hallowed grounds of Fairbanks Local School District, several Panther Cross Country athletes began the arduous journey of getting their feet, ankles, and shins ready for the trials and tribulations of the season ahead. According to Panther Head Coach, and well-known local personality and dairy farmer, Michael Van Winkle, “It’s really important that, after some of the early season conditioning has been done, athletes begin to prepare their bodies for the rigors of an actual meet, which is contested on the wild turf beneath their feet. We’re talking bumps, hills, pebbles and anything else that Mother Nature wants to throw at us.” After speaking to the team about the upcoming Cow Drop Bingo, which will be held at Fairbanks on the date of the home meet, Van Winkle encouraged his athletes to be prepared to “feel a little shaky” in the next few days after running on grass for the first time all season. If there’s one thing Van Winkle knows well it’s that running cross country can be hard on the body. “I’ve trained for marathons before; I know what the human body can and can’t handle. The doctors may say that I have the knees of an eighty year old, but who can put a price on miles?”