By Dana Ehrmann
Sports Correspondent
One of the trademark variables of the sport of cross-country running is course conditions. At any given race, runners might face inclement weather and difficult terrain, navigating a course of twists and turns, going every which way.
But figuratively speaking, Burlington High School coach Sean Birren is concerned only with one direction: forward.
When asked about past seasons, Birren will admit he hasn’t really reviewed them.
“As the new coach of this program, I have not taken the time to focus on those past results,” he says. “Instead, I’ve tried to focus on the strengths of my team.”
The squad this year of nine boys and six girls does have a few key returners, including senior Gavin Clayton for the boys and for the girls, junior Kelly Aldrich and senior Brianna Martin.
Though they bring valuable experience with them, Birren is even more interested in how each of them can bring positivity and encouragement to the group.
According to the coach, the sport has the least to do with physical ability and more to do with those relationships and also the development of skills that go beyond running.
“There is always something we can do to build a person’s speed and/or stamina for racing,” Birren said. “A tenacious person will strive to be better at whatever they choose to involve themselves in,” he says, “so room for improvement is only limited by physical ability.”
So with only the occasional off-day, the Monday-through-Friday practices prove dedication just as much as physical durability.
And the tenacity they’ve been working toward as a team has shown itself already in the young season.
At the Palmyra Eagle invite back on August 27 at Carlin-Weld County Park in Eagle, the Hilltoppers finished fifth out of 11 teams on the boys’ side.
The girls fell to the bottom of the pack, scoring 14th out of 14 teams.
The boys saw three top-30 finishes that Thursday. Senior Clayton finished 21st in the five-kilometer race at 19:05.
Not far behind him were 25th– and 28th-place finishers, sophomore John Pum and junior Greg Sember, with times of 19:13 and 19:34, respectively.
For the girls, junior Kelly Aldrich placed 53rd with a time of 24:34. Both Brianna Martin and Laura Klein, seniors, finished at 27:02, good for 76th and 77th places.
“Although they all went out way too fast, they continued to push themselves through the whole race, giving me the impression that the improvements I am hoping for can be obtained,” says Coach Birren.
Looking ahead, he’ll keep pushing them to perform as best they can “with the hope that this focus will carry over into other, more important parts of their lives.”
Lessons from Birren’s own high school team still resonate with him.
“I still remember my own coach telling me I will not find joy in life until I find my purpose beyond my own athletics.”
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