It is 5:30 in the morning. Sophomore Daniel “DT” Thomas sits down at his basement desk, beside a computer that he has built from scratch out of spare parts that he ordered on the Dark Web. He powers it on and hears the familiar hum of the machine. It is powerful. He designed it that way. His right hand grasps the mouse, and he begins accessing his cryptocurrency portfolio. Good. The numbers look strong. Steady profits across the board. Relieved, Daniel stands and stretches, for he has a race to prepare for this morning, and it’ll be here before he knows it. It’s the Pickerington XC Classic, and Daniel is determined to push for a new PR. He likes morning runs. He likes the course, which rises and falls like the line graphs of his cryptocurrency charts. In short, he likes his chances. He performed admirably at Ben Logan, but he wants more. He considers his breakfast options: high protein, or heavy carbs? Daniel decides that going with both is the best option. There’s no room for error. Daniel climbs the stairs to the kitchen. His parents are not yet awake. He opens the refrigerator and grabs the eggs. Three….no, six should do the trick. He cracks the shells and pours the eggs into a large glass. He drinks it down in two gulps, not hesitating at the slimy texture. Next, he grabs a loaf of bread and slathers a few pieces with peanut butter. Delicious. His father sleepily walks into the kitchen. “Almost ready, bud?” Daniel smiles and responds, “Let’s do this.”
The student athletes arrive at Fairbanks High School an hour before the sun has begun to rise. The bus stands ready, filling the air with the sweet smell of exhaust. Slowly the athletes climb aboard and take their seats. It’s a forty minute drive to Pickerington High School, and some of the athletes will use that time to nap or to listen to some classic Led Zeppelin albums. Not Daniel Thomas. Instead, he pulls out the latest edition of the New York Times and begins reading it, cover to cover. Interesting…the Ukrainian army is making gains against Russia again. Hmmm…what’s this? A billionaire banking magnate has died at sea in a boating accident off the Sicilian coast. Daniel considers how these bits of news may affect his Bitcoin holdings. Better sell, he decides. The market is volatile. He grabs his phone, swipes a few screens, types a couple of instructions, and sits back, satisfied with himself. But now it’s time to focus on the race.
The teams arrive and set up camp. Coach Van Winkle gathers everyone together and begins addressing the fears and the facts that the runners are about to face. “There is no time to malinger; find your pace and then adrenalize it. The course is pure and whole; it is there for you to exploit. Now is the time to prepare for what is to come.” Grudgingly, they set off on their required warm-up jog. The girls will take the field at 9:05, followed by the boys at 9:50.
The girls take to the line and prepare to set off. Their nerves are palpable. They are surrounded on all sides by large division 1 programs, some going 80 runners deep. The referee raises his arms, and POW! The gun sounds. The girls take off and do a quick loop before doubling back on the start line, at which point they disappear into the woods. Ava Lahmers leads the way for the Panthers, but not too far behind her come Sadie Miller and Hannah Niehaus. The girls look strong. From a perch set high in an alder tree, Coach Van Winkle watches the progress of the race through powerful binoculars. After 4,600 meters, the first girls start emerging from the forest and take a hairpin turn towards the final straightaway. The Panthers have done well, and continue their strong start to the young season. Full results below:
48th—Ava Lahmers—21:06
73rd—Sadie Miller—21:45
167th—Hannah Niehaus—23:58
171st—Elizabeth Phillipo—24:04
174th—Evie Reidman—24:09
243rd—Stephanie Headings—25:39
246th—Hadley Premuda—25:49
320th—Corrinna Seabourne—28:25
333rd—Prairie Bailey—29:04
Next up were the Panther boys. Freshman Triton Rhodes expressed some nerves before the race, but Daniel Thomas just gripped him by the shoulders and reassured him, offering some advice from Coach Van Winkle. “Remember, Triton, the sense of nervousness is an illusion. Close your eyes, stare into the abyss, and take the leap. There’s nothing to lose but your own fears.” Before young Triton had a chance to fully understand this message, the gun sounded, and hundreds of athletes bolted from the gates. Senior Zeke Gingerich would again lead the Panther boys, but the pack that followed him kept it condensed, allowing the boys to finish a strong 12th out of 22 teams. Full results below:
44th—Zeke Gingerich—18:33
64th—Bryce Nisly—19:16
78th—Brady Adams—19:39
82nd—Daniel Thomas—19:43
85th—JJ Meihls—19:46
90th—Wesley Goellner—19:48
92nd—Andrew Doll—19:49
98th—Nicholas Johnson—19:58
120th—Elton Bailey—20:57
183rd—Triton Rhodes—24:42
Back at team camp, the Panther athletes reclined and reflected on the morning races, while guzzling down cold chocolate milk provided by the Reidmans. “I felt a lot stronger than I thought I was going to,” said Hannah Niehaus, whose calm demeanor remained unflappable. “We are beginning to establish our own sense of what to do and how to do it; we are becoming a team.” Coach Van Winkle gathered the athletes together to congratulate them on a strong outing. “You performed admirably today, my acolytes. I knew you would. It is because you are following the training, and conducting the rituals accordingly. The two must be balanced, like the lead and rhythm guitars in Led Zeppelin songs.” The athletes gazed upward at their enigmatic leader and nodded, fully comprehending the truths that he was revealing. “But more is to come. So much more. Adversity. Doubts. Fears. These must be banished as quickly as they arrive, or you will succumb to the abyss.”
The Panthers next race will be their home invitational on September 3rd. I’m certain that another article will miraculously appear on Substack before then, detailing the festivities that will occur.